Our Day Out

by Willy Russell

The "Heinemann Plays" series offers contemporary drama and classic plays in durable classroom editions. Many have large casts and an equal mix of boy and girl parts. The television play "Our Day Out" asks what can a group of back-street kids from Liverpool expect from life beyond a rare "day out"?

Genres: Plays, Drama, Fiction, School, Read For School, Childrens, Theatre

Hardcover

First published December 28, 1977

About the author

William Russell is a British dramatist, lyricist, and composer. His best-known works are Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine, and Blood Brothers.

Willy Russell was born in Whiston, on the outskirts of Liverpool, where he grew up. His parents worked in a book publisher's and often encouraged him to read. After leaving school with one O-level in English, he first became a ladies' hairdresser and ran his own salon. Russell then undertook a variety of jobs, also the first play he wrote was Keep Your Eyes Down Low (1975). His first success was a play about The Beatles called John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert. Originally commissioned for the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool was transferring to the West End in 1974. Educating Rita (1980) concerned a female hairdresser and her Open University teacher. The semi-autobiographical Educating Rita was turned into a 1983 film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters. The musical Blood Brothers (1983), for which Russell also composed the music, first opened in Liverpool and transferred to London's Phoenix Theatre. It won the best actress award at the Lawrence Olivier awards. Bill Kenwright produced a revival in 1988 which has run for more than twenty years; the show was produced on Broadway in 1993. Shirley Valentine, which first opened in Liverpool in 1986 before a new production opened in London in 1988 starring Pauline Collins. It was also made into a successful film, in 1989, again with Collins in the title role. Russell received BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for both Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.

Russell has also written television projects, including the one-off drama, Our Day Out, which aired in 1977. He penned another television drama, One Summer, which aired as a five-part series on Channel 4 in 1983, starring a young David Morrissey.

In 2000, Russell published his first novel, The Wrong Boy. In epistolary form, main character Raymond Marks, a 19-year old from Manchester, tells the story of his life in letters to his hero Morrissey.

Russell has written songs since the early 1960s, and has written the music to most of his plays and musicals. He also co-wrote "The Show", the theme song to the 1985 ITV drama series Connie, which became a top 30 hit for vocalist Rebecca Storm. His first album, Hoovering the Moon, was released in 2003.

The Willy Russell Centre for Children and Adults Who Stammer, was opened by Russell in Liverpool, 1996. The centre took Russell's name as his writing in many of his plays puts forward the philosophy that anyone is capable of change whatever obstacles may be in their path, a theory shared by the centre.

Reviews

[Victoria Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Mrs Kay takes her ‘Progress Class’ out on a day trip, the kids are unleashed and chaos ensues!

I am teaching this to my Year Seven class when I start my new job in two weeks and I really enjoyed reading the script in preparation!

It has a lot to say about class, social structure and the dreams of young people and I’m excited to see what my pupils make of it!

[Tori Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know whether I love this play so much because it holds so many happy memories for me but I think it’s a truly incredible and poignant view on the classism present in 1980s Liverpool and the rut that the impoverished youth were trapped in. An absolutely stellar piece of writing.

[Booklover · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was no. It was boring, and I hated it.
Don’t waste your time

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, just brilliant. The kids in this special needs group are just like those I chose to spend my teaching career with. And as with my lots, take them anywhere and havoc ensues. This is a must read and perform if you are in a youth theatre group

[obsessed with books · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad please do not read it.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the book (Our day out)! It is probably the best book I have read so far. I really recommend it to every person. It is very good to act it out in drama or a theatre. you should definitely read this book you will be suprised how good it is! so go now and read this book.

The book is very exciting and Interesting. I really enjoyed the story and the way of the writing. It is a fun way to spend you'r weekend by reading it. It is a very great book by a great author. It is so good that I would definitely love to read it again! I love this book so much. I love how it has a deep meaning. it's so brilliant! it's so funny and easily readable. I recommend to all.

I like that it is written in Scouse. it is very entertaining! when I was reading it I laughed a lot. This is a funny and a good way to show what it was like in the 1980s. It's sad to think that lots of people experience that. I love every single thing about the book! I love every single thing about the book! The book is well told and easy to read!

[Ryan O'Pray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitchen sink realism with appropriately-tuned bathos. A disaffected remedial class are taken away from school on a reward trip. Entertaining ensuing chaos is intertwined with the conflicting pedagogy of two supervising teachers. Stock characters like the new teachers and Head Teacher are fitted well into the narrative, as are auxiliaries such as the shop and zoo keepers. There’s not much to find fault with, because even if it could be criticised for having too many characters or being too short, it has a knack for allowing balanced discussion amongst a wide range of characters and themes.

[Zenab Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feigned polite interest in my new manager's hobbies last week and we're both in again tomorrow so I read this quickly just now in case it comes up tomorrow lol but ngl I lowkey enjoyed it

Anyway, two things:
- so this is why teachers constantly went on about risk assessments. makes sense.
- classism is real and unchanging. today's perception of scousers is no different to what it was almost 50yrs ago when this was written

[Jan Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this with the year 8s in school over the last two weeks and then we watched the film. They loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. It's still funny and kicked off a lot of interesting conversations about the differences and similarities between 1970s secondary school culture and schools now.

[iamjacsmusings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a class test with my students taking on and maintaining a role throughout.

A selection of the overwhelmingly positive class feedback:

- It was a funny and enjoyable play
- I like how characters changed
- It was good but too short
- It was entertaining and funny
- It was a great play; amazing characters
- It would be nice to read another play

#teachinggoals

[Gracethereader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this in Year 8 and really enjoyed. This is really funny and a great way to show what life was like in Liverpool in the 1980s. It also deals with education. Would recommend. Give it a 4.5/5 .😀

[Kevin Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both my kids have read this at school so thought I had better read it. Also suggested as a possible KS3 option for us. Think it is okay for my generation but don’t see it resonating with our students. Had me chuckling this afternoon any way.

[Abhirup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that after the class arrived at Wales is got a bit repetitive when they went to the different locations. It didn't intrest me that much as a whole, the storyline was shallow, but the development of mr.Briggs was interesting, but felt forced. 2.5 /5

[Fen · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3.5 Stars⭐

Didn't think reading about a class of kids having fun on a school trip would make me so sad. This was more impactful than I expected. However, I do wish it had ended on a more positive and hopeful note.

[Aamori Lasisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in english class, I did enjoy it and thought it was a nice book and the difference in characters was really interesting. I wished it was a bit longer and we had more about the children’s home life but then it is a play script.

[Zenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s full of comedy and laughs

[Abhishek Pillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a great play and good translation into a book. It was tough to read for the reason that it was originally a play.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty lacklustre.

[Andrew Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite funny. I like the way it is written
In scouse, and there’s a mention of Everton too.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read this with a young group of people who haven’t loved it.

[Ashwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not really enjoy reading the book.

[Tanish Das · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 star. Did not enjoy it.

[Justus Hellemons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and does not really feel like it has a plot

[Reyansh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a very interesting book, that doesn't really lead to anything.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story, characters, and plot. I found the characters very relatable. Altogether, a good book

[Sharvas Bendigeri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was kind of boring, however the characters were interesting. But in the end, nothing really changed.

[Tvesha Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for students to read as a school book and can help teach students what good teachers are.

[Ebony Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

although you can tell this was written by a wealthier man, my god did i relate to carol ( i played the lollipop lady in our year 9 production that we never performed )

[cheese · Rating 1 out of 5]

had to read for english and honestly the experience was torture 😭

[Ryan Hutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for work.