Studied by 18 people
class divide
Willy Russell
Liverpudlian playwright who grew up in a working class family.
musical
the genre of the play
fraternal twins
twins who come from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm; usually non-identical
Margaret Thatcher
Conservative prime minister of GB from 1979 to 1990 who reduced the powers of the workers' unions and privatised many publicly owned companies
Liverpool
setting of the play; place of the highest unemployment levels during this time
Jobseeker's Allowance
a state benefit paid to unemployed people who meet certain conditions; slang term is 'on the dole'
class system
a social ranking based on economic position
council housing
homes provided by the state to those who cannot afford their own
new towns
new council accommodation in the countryside built to reduce the number of people living in council housing in the city, e.g. Skelmersdale
grammar school
a state secondary school to which pupils are admitted on the basis of ability
secondary modern school
a school of a kind offering a general education to children not selected for grammar school (the type of school that Mickey attends)
11 plus test
examination used to determine a child's entry into grammar school
Roman Catholic church
denomination of Christianity established in 1054 that opposes divorce, abortion, sex outside of marriage and contraception
The Beatles
a band from Liverpool with a huge influence in the 1960s
Marilyn Monroe
female icon of the 1950s and 60s who could sing, dance and act; an object of male desire. Presented by the media as having the 'perfect' lifestyle, but in reality suffered from depression that eventually led to an overdose
Mersey Beat
pop music originating in the mid 1960s around Liverpool
Liverpudlian
a person from Liverpool
pop culture
contemporary music, TV and film that flourished as a result of young people gradually having more money. Even the poorest in society would have had the chance to go to the cinema or to a club for dancing
poverty
inability to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter
working class
the social group consisting of people who are employed for wages, especially in manual or industrial work
middle class
the social group between the upper and working classes, including professional and business people and their families
superstition
a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck, or a practice based on such a belief
teenagers
emerged in the 1950s as a new group of people characterised by their own interests and behaviour
recession
a period of reduced economic activity
Mickey
the twin who lives with Mrs Johnstone
Edward
the twin who lives with Mrs Lyons
Mrs Johnstone
a warm and caring mother, despite the struggles she faces supporting her eight children alone; superstitious
Mrs Lyons
a very lonely woman who is the opposite of her employee; unable to have children so makes an agreement to 'adopt' Edward
Sammy
the twins' older brother who is often getting into mischief; a bad role model who turns into a criminal
Linda
the twins' friend and later Mickey's girlfriend
Narrator
the character who appears frequently to tell the story in the play; repeats the same song/choruses
Adolf Hitler
the name Edward gives to the policeman
councillor
Edward's job as an adult
boarding school
a private school where students live during term time (the type of school Edward attends)
foreshadowing
a warning or indication of a future event within a narrative
the dole
colloquial term for being on state benefits
welfare
colloquial term used in the play to refer to the government aid to the less fortunate members of society
gynaecologist
women's doctor
prologue
the introduction to the play in which the twins' fate is revealed
fate
a power that is believed to control what happens in the future
Donna Marie
the twins' older sister who follows in her mother's footsteps
Note 
Flashcard (24)