Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In

We all love it when people power wins a battle. So, it was a privilege to sit next to the brave women who gritted their teeth and fought for their jobs in the 1980’s.

These were hard workers from the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock, Scotland, who took on powerful American owners, the Vanity Fair Corporation and organised a seven month sit-in to save their way of life.

Now in their twilight years, it was an emotional night at The Tron Theatre in Glasgow as they saw their fight brought to life by playwright Frances Poet and journalist Paul English in a premiere of The National Theatre of Scotland performance.

Poet tackled the story brilliantly, bringing all the elements of it together with ease through a double narrative switching between 1981 and 2026 and reflecting on the remarkable happenings which turned ordinary lives into front page news.

Focusing on the human cost of a decision to save money, it’s led by Helen Monaghan, the shop steward of the National Union of Tailor and Garment Workers, played brilliantly by Jo Freer who strikes just the right note as she portrays how Helen rose from a reluctant negotiator into a real force to be reckoned with. Outraged by the owners’ plan to disregard 240 workers and switch operations to Northern Ireland to secure Government grants, the protestors barricaded themselves in to stop machinery being taken out.

The spotlight also shone on teenager Maggie Wallace (Chiara Sparkes), whose youthful and argumentative energy brought real drama and humour to the story. It was Maggie who solved the problem of no food on the first night, by sneaking onto the roof and down a drain pipe to buy 240 fish suppers and calling in at home on the way back, to tell her mum she wouldn’t be in for tea!

What started out as a “bit of a laugh” for Maggie, her sister Cathie (Hannah Jarrett-Scott) and Helen’s son Finlay (Aron Dochard), quickly changed as they realised they were in it for the long haul and it brought the best out in them, with Maggie becoming a skilled political campaigner and Finlay managing factories abroad.

Joined by Madeline Grieve, ensemble and Shonagh Murray, performing musical director, the cast multi tasked, playing other roles vital to the story and adding real fizz with poignant songs from the 80’s including Adam Ant’s “Stand and Deliver” as a nod to the play list the protestors enjoyed to relieve the boredom.

The sit in brought huge work and personal stresses to the campaigners, whose families also had their lives disrupted, but to their credit, humour was used to lighten the mood and Frances Poet weaves this into the play beautifully with the audience in stitches, especially when a plan to use a sun lamp resulted in some very red faces!

But at the heart of this very human story is the support shown by the community at a time when many other workers in Greenock were struggling. Led by the ship workers, they donated food and money to help, while the Lee Jeans factory’s very own trade union stalled at helping.

Political power houses, Michael Foot and Tony Benn backed the fight and after seven long months a management buyout resulted in 140 jobs being saved, proving that the factory was very much viable, but sadly two years later it closed for the final time.

Poet’s fabulous play with a simple but impressive set led by stage manager Mickey Graham and directed by Jemima Levick with musical arrangements from Claire McKenzie, is powerful and reminds us all decades on, that money seems to be more important than people.

It’s a testament to the determination of a set of very special people who fought for justice and deservedly won a huge round of applause at the end of the show as a list of the campaigners’ names was screened.

And it was humbling to see how their friendship has continued over the years as their story lives on. Truly inspiring!

Stand & Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit In runs at The Tron Theatre until 9^th May and then moves to Aberdeen Arts Centre on 12^th and 13^th May, Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy on 15^th May, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh on 19^th and 20^th May, The Byre Theatre, St Andrew’s on 22^nd and 23^rd May, Eastgate Theatre, Peebles on 26^th and 27^th May, Mull Theatre, Tobermory on May 30^th, Eden Court, Inverness on 2^nd and 3^rd June, Lanternhouse Cumbernauld on 5^th and 6^th June, rounding off at Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock on 9^th and 10^th June. For more information and to book tickets, please visit: www.nationaltheatrescotland.com.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

Photographs by Mihaela Bodlovic