Overview

Synopsis

Willy Russell’s first play roots itself in 1970s Liverpool on a run-of-the-mill council estate. There we find a close-knit family headed up by sisters Betty and Reeny. Together with their husbands and sister-in-law Vera, they consider themselves a tight unit drawn together at Christmas, but jealousy, rivalry, and grudges rumble beneath the surface. Their lives have become a race to discover whose sofa cost more and which family can afford central heating. When Betty's daughter, Sandra, announces that she is pregnant and has no intention of marrying her student boyfriend, Tim, their world implodes. Frustrations, harsh truths, and honest desires are revealed as the family grapples with the demands of social conventions of the time. At times laugh-out-loud funny, while at other times agonizingly heartbreaking, Russell’s play is an honest peek into the joys and struggles of a 1970s working-class family.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1975
Genres
Comedy
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
A council housing estate, Liverpool, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, 1975
Cast Size
medium
Ideal For
Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Betty

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Syd

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Vera

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Tommy

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Reeny

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Ted

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Sandra

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

John

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Tim

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

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Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher