In this essay I have been given the task to analyse a stage play called "Our Day Out". This play was written in 1977 by a man called William Russell. Willy Russell was born in 1937 in Winston, Lancashire.
He grew up in Knowsley's, a village just outside Liverpool. He described his school, Woodfall secondary as "chaotic, badly run. It was March 1971 that Russell discovered he wanted to be a play writer. He wrote his first play "John, Paul, George, Ringo .
..and Bert" about The BeatlesIn the play there is a class called the 'Progress Class', this is mainly what the story is based on. The Progress Class is for children who are slower learners than most pupils, and most teachers don't understand the special needs these children require except, Mrs Kay is one of the more laid back teachers that do. Also in the Progress class there is little enthusiasm for the children to learn or even to try and pass their exams.
The children that attend this feel there is nothing for them to look forward to when they leave school; their view on their very inopportune life is "what's the point in trying?" one girl called Carol Chandler is an exception for this.There are three main characters in Our Day Out: Carol, Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay. They all represent an opinion. For example, Mrs Kay represents the opinion of Russell. Russell believes all teachers should be caring and understanding towards the children. Mrs Kay is like a mother figure to most of the children.
It's someone they can look up to and respect. She gives them comfort and support and even though hard times, takes them out to Wales for a good day out.Mr Briggs is everything Russell is against. Briggs is cruel towards the children, and makes them feel beneath him by punishing them. Briggs thinks children need to be taught through discipline and unnecessary punishment. Russell is against this as the children have more things to worry about then learning how to stand in a straight line.
These were hard times in Liverpool, and Briggs could only think about expectations and skills he benefited from.
