{"title":"Willy Russell","description":"\u003cp\u003eWilly Russell's works offer a vivid exploration of everyday life, capturing the humour and heart within ordinary struggles. His plays often delve into themes of education, social class, and personal growth, inviting readers to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect engaging narratives that blend wit with poignant moments, set against relatable British backdrops. Titles like \u003cem\u003eBlood Brothers\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEducating Rita\u003c\/em\u003e are celebrated for their memorable characters and insightful social commentary within the realm of \u003cstrong\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"blood-brothers-by-willy-russell-9780413767707","title":"Blood Brothers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons, and they grow up as friends, unaware of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a bloodbath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWilly Russell is less concerned with political tub-thumping than with weaving a close-knit story about the working of fate and destiny ... it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic\"\u003eGuardian\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of the longest-running and most successful ever West End musicals\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBlood Brothers\u003c\/em\u003e premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46840569626860,"sku":"9780413767707","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8157423482335.jpg?v=1758683044"},{"product_id":"blood-brothers-gcse-student-edition-by-willy-russell-9781474229920","title":"Blood Brothers GCSE Student Edition","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions provide in-depth explanatory material alongside the play texts frequently studied at Key Stage 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether for use in the classroom or independent study, these editions offer a fully comprehensive and lightly glossed play text with accompanying notes specifically directed towards readers of this age. These notes unravel essential topics and challenge all students to delve further into literary analysis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA well-established modern classic, Willy Russell’s \u003ci\u003eBlood Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of Mickey and Eddie, twins separated at birth who grow up to lead very opposite lives, but whose paths constantly and inevitably intersect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to some on-page explanatory notes and the play text, this edition contains sub-headed analyses of themes, characters, context, and dramatic devices, as well as background information on the playwright.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions never lose sight of their readership and offer students the confidence to engage with the material, explore their own interpretations, and improve their understanding of the works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46843231338732,"sku":"9781474229920","price":53.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24436723482712.jpg?v=1758793109"},{"product_id":"blood-brothers-by-willy-russell-9781350386198","title":"Blood Brothers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlood Brothers\u003c\/em\u003e by Willy Russell is a 1983 play with music that tells the compelling story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to the wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends, unaware of their true relationship, until an inevitable quarrel unleashes a bloodbath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing its premiere at the Liverpool Playhouse, the musical has been produced globally and enjoyed a decades-long run in London’s West End. It has also extensively toured the UK, captivating audiences with its poignant narrative and musicality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis revised Student Edition includes a commentary by Rebecca Hillman, providing accessible and vivid insights into the play and the context in which it was written, viewed through a 21st-century lens. It helps us appreciate the play today and highlights how groundbreaking \u003cem\u003eBlood Brothers\u003c\/em\u003e was at the time, in its representation of working-class lives on stage and its explicit critique of the British class system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46868950253804,"sku":"9781350386198","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/21774263482668.jpg?v=1759777970"},{"product_id":"educating-rita-by-willy-russell-9780413767905","title":"Educating Rita","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEducating Rita\u003c\/em\u003e, about a working-class Liverpool girl's hunger for education, is \u003cq\u003esimply a marvellous play, painfully funny and passionately serious; a hilarious social documentary; a fairy-tale with a quizzical, half-happy ending.\u003c\/q\u003e \u003ccite\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEducating Rita\u003c\/em\u003e premiered at the RSC Warehouse, London, in June 1980. \u003cstrong\u003eVoted Best Comedy of 1980\u003c\/strong\u003e, it was subsequently made into a highly successful film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47076541595884,"sku":"9780413767905","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8159403482335.jpg?v=1765204212"},{"product_id":"educating-rita-by-willy-russell-9781350200937","title":"Educating Rita","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne way of describing \u003ci\u003eEducating Rita\u003c\/i\u003e would be to say that it is about the meaning of education. Another would be to say that it is about the meaning of life. A third, that it is a cross between \u003ci\u003ePygmalion\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLucky Jim\u003c\/i\u003e. A fourth, that it is simply a marvellous play, painfully funny and passionately serious; a hilarious social documentary; a fairy-tale with a quizzical, half-happy ending. \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new student edition includes an introduction covering the play's context; chronology; dramatic devices; critical reception; production history; and key themes such as class and identity, popular culture and education.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eEducating Rita\u003c\/i\u003e portrays a working-class Liverpool woman's hunger for education. It premiered at the RSC Warehouse, London, in 1980 and won the SWET award for Best Comedy of the Year. It was subsequently made into a highly successful film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters and won the 1983 BAFTA award for Best Film.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCommentary and notes by Katie Beswick, University of the Arts London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47340772360428,"sku":"9781350200937","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/19921653482668.jpg?v=1772168007"},{"product_id":"our-day-out-by-willy-russell-9780413548702","title":"Our Day Out","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOur Day Out\u003c\/em\u003e by Willy Russell tells the story of Mrs Kay's 'Progress Class,' who are unleashed for a day's coach trip to Conway Castle in Wales. It is an exuberant celebration of the joys and agonies of growing up and being footloose, fourteen, and free from school.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"The skill and zest of the show ...derive from its success in following the adult argument through while preserving all the fun of a story mainly played by children ...I have rarely seen a show that combined such warmth and such bleakness.\" - \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition contains the music to the play.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47463985053932,"sku":"9780413548702","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780413548702-our-day-out.jpg?v=1775037855"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/willy-russell.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}