The narrator’s role in ‘Blood Brothers’ is quite unusual. The convention of the narrator in most plays is such that they are usually brought on to introduce the next part of the play and then move offstage and the play continues. However, in Blood Brothers the narrator is a physical character and is on stage all of the time. At the beginning of the play the narrator says, “So did y’ hear the story of the Johnston twins?
” This indicates that he is the storyteller.
His presence at every scene thereafter shows that he is telling us about that part of the story. The narrator is on stage all the time, watching the characters and often lurking in the background, and this makes him seem a sinister and threatening character, which contrasts with other plays where the narrator is usually neutral. The narrator contributes to the dramtic effect in numrous ways.
For instance let us look at the fact that the narrator enters at the side of the stage, and also at the fact that the narrator leaves and enters the stage at such times that it has an enormous impact upon the audinace;up to the extent that even when the narrator is not to be seen and is not there the audinace have this emotion in which they express that the narrator is omniscuent.
For instance the play states the following “The devils got your number” this suggests that the narrator is becoming powerful, and the fact that he knows what’s going on that he is all seeing.
The fact the past is not going to let Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyonsgo that easily. Aswellas that we see that Russell is using many dramtic effects such as, he lays the scene just like the well known play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. In both plays we are told the ending by bthe narrator right at the start. For instance in the play BloodBrothers we see that the narrator states “And did you never know how the Jhonstones died,” straight away we are told that they shall die similarly we are also told this in Romeo and Julliet in which it says “where civil blood makes civil hands unclean” this again tells us that that they will die.
Throughtout the play we see that the narrator gives this feeling as if he is some supenatural being. Another way in which the narratorgives a dramtic effect is of when he talks in direct speech to the audinace which makes them feel as if he is one of them, it feels as if they are apart of this thus keeping them informed, and in the know. Conversely the narrator is speaking in a Liverpuddlian accent this renforce the effect if making the audinace feel as if he is one of them and the fact that the same problem occurs in their city, and the it goes on in their day to day lives.
We can also see the fact that the narrator is starting to be used as Russels mouth piece. We can tell of this because he is now protraying a message which will be fullfilled at the end of the play. The narrator is a vital piece of he play and a fundelmentle part of the dramatic effects of the play because without him the ethical message of the whole play would be in pieces. “There’s a deal been sealed, a pact been born” this line gives the feeling of prophecy , because itis stated by the narrator whio within the playgains some sort of jurisprudence authority which somehow gives it a prophetical effect.
Let me take your to the fact that the words “deal been sealed” have been used in the context to protray a signing or an agreement ona contract. Let us look at the word “deal” in particular which has been used in such a manner that one cannot evade it without any understanding, and the fact that it is right at the point where none can misunderstand. this is in genral gives the emotion of the that no going back option and alos emphizes the fact that of religious belief by swearing on the bible. It authanticates the whole of the contract the whole deal it gives it the seal of approval.
Allow me to take your attention to the “born” which has also used in such a manner that the audiance is taken back by it. The word “born” in this context brings about the sence of this evil being awakened and the fact the this immoral-being is on the rise. “Happy are y cointent at last ? wiped what happened forgotten the past… no one gets off without a price being paid. “From this alone we see the emince power in the play and the fact the it contains powerful and destructive dramatic effects.
This statement provides the effect the past has no forgotten them and the fact it is coming back to get them. Again this is said by the narrator who now is forming into Mrs Johnson’s point onwards. We can also see that the Englished used within the play is far from standered English; but instead one could say theat it was urban,common,northern or colloquial English. This type of English is commonly used within that city and area,which is always spoken in the Liverpuddlian accent. This again is one of many dramtic effect used in the play to convey its moral message.
Blood Brothers Narrator. (2019, Dec 05). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-narrators-role-blood-brothers/