In 1981, in the history-filled little town of Greenock, 240 workers of The Lee Jeans factory made history by protesting for seven months against capitalist greed after they were threatened with unemployment and closure. After knock-back negotiations, completely unplanned, and led by awe-inspiring Helen Monaghan, every single worker began barricading the doors and refusing to back down until they won against Vanity Fair. 45 years later, the play written by Frances Poet is hitting the stage, and as someone who comes from Greenock themself, this performance was especially personal and poignant, though it’s clear the rest of the audience was equally as touched.
For this review, I don’t even know where to start. For someone who usually has so many thoughts and opinions about every little thing, I’m struggling to even conjure an adjective good enough to describe what I just watched. I’d put this play immediately into my Letterboxd top four if I could with a one-word review, but as I can’t do that, I’ll try my best to do the production justice.
Above all, the acting was just phenomenal. I’d love to pick a stand-out performer, but the tiny yet mighty cast makes it impossible to do so. Everyone was at the top of their game. When I read there would be a live band, it didn’t occur to me that the band would be the same people who were acting on stage, and I certainly didn’t expect an accordion to make a guest appearance. But from Bowie to Lennon to Duran Duran, this talented team just seem to be able to do it all. They, of course, perform Adam and the Ants Stand and Deliver too, though if you’re a spring chicken like me and some of the other journalists who attended, you might know this better as the Dick Turpin song from Horrible Histories.
If you’re not a big history buff, or even if you know very little about Greenock and the jeans factory, the story is very well-written and easy to follow. They tell you how much time has passed with cardboard signs and paper on the wall, and it flows in such a seamless way. And you’ve got to appreciate the Scottish humour thrown in there, which Chiara Sparkes (who played Maggie) did an especially phenomenal job of carrying.
Jo Freer, who plays Helen, is a beautiful actress. Helen is the reason why the story is so gripping and packs one hell of a punch; her determination and undeniable strength make for a feel-good, inspirational tale. The whole thing couldn’t have happened without her, and I hope this play solidifies her place as yet another invigorating, powerful woman in history. Freer does an amazing job of getting you emotional over her will. I spoke to the real Helen after the show, and though it was only a minute, it felt like a true honour. She is a remarkable woman.
Tron Theatre is such a cosy venue, and I felt like I was in the factory fighting for my job with the others. It’s an atmosphere that couldn’t be transcribed into a film. It was so immersive I felt connected to every character; each actor plays several parts, and at one point, when Aron Dochard was playing an Irishman, I was looking for his other character, Finaly’s, reaction to his words, only to remember it was the same guy playing them both.
A moving tribute is also included in which the names of all the workers who saw out the seven-month strike were listed on a projector, making it really hit home how much change some togetherness can bring. I won’t spoil the ending, but it had every single person up, giving a standing ovation for a long time. My hands are still red, but they deserved all the praise they got. A beautiful reminder of how it’s not just the rich who can make an impact and change, especially in times like these.
These days, Greenock gets very little praise. It’s a deprived area, it’s got hardly anything pretty in it, it’s got constant road works, and it’s the hometown of Scotland’s Reform Leader, which I’d say is the worst of the lot. So, to be put on the map by an inspiring team of women who are telling their maddening story…well, it’s such a positively refreshing honour. And just like Maggie said…
“Imagine if folk like us could change things, Helen. Imagine what the world would be like.”
19🏴
Studying JMC & Politics in year 2
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