GCSE Revision
Blood Brothers Themes – English Literature/Drama/Theatre
If you have been studying Blood Brothers for your English GCSE, then these handy notes will help you to remember the main themes of the play.
Willy Russell wrote the play Blood Brothers as a school play in 1982. It went on to show in the West End for many years.
The play is about twins who were separated at birth. It raises questions about nature or nurture and the impact of privilege.
One brother is raised in a poor family and one with wealth and opportunity.
Some of the key questions the play asks the reader to consider are:
Are we the product of our genes, or our environment?
Is there such a thing as fate and destiny?
Does the play argue that: Children and adults act differently, they are less bothered about background and class. In the adult world these differences become more obvious and can cause divisions.
What are the differences in the education we receive when we are more affluent? Does this give us different life chances?
What about the effect of gender? The women in this play have very little choice about their situation and lot in life.
Growing up can bring stress and strain, the effects of a difficult/poor childhood can start to show. How is this portrayed in Blood Brothers?
Some adults will try to exert power over another, perhaps this is the only power and control they have in their lives. The women in this play are all bullied by their partners. What does this tell us about gender dynamics in the play?
Money can play a big role in our life chances. It can divide us from each other, those ‘with’ and those ‘without’.
For more help with Blood Brothers GCSE English revision check out our song at….. It will help to get the information you need into your memory. For more information on English, Maths and Science GCSE revision go to….
Responsive, lightweight, fast, synchronized with CSS animations, fully customizable modal window plugin with declarative configuration and hash tracking.