Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-in is a fierce, vulnerable, and inspiring tribute to the workers who fought in a seven-month occupation to resist the closure of the Greenock Lee Jeans factory in 1981. Directed by Jemima Levick, the true story of the courage and persistence of working-class women is an empowering testament to unsung Scottish heroes.
Poet’s writing represents the realities and hardships of working class women in Thatcher’s Britain with unfailing honesty and pockets of raw humour. These comedic moments are balanced perfectly alongside well-delivered moments of emotion as we are taken through the progression of the sit-in, with alarming escalations such as smoke being unleashed on the factory building.
Jo Freer portrays union representative and sit-in leader Helen as headstrong and unwaveringly brave, embodying her strength whilst also showing her maternal side and striking vulnerability when confronting union leaders. The script focuses on the weight of her role as the union representative in negotiating with uncooperative union leaders. We empathise with her internal conflict over regretting beginning the occupation, despite her continued resilience. Helen’s relationship with Maggie (Chiara Sparkes) is a tumultuous but sincere bond which evolves throughout the production, as Maggie matures and uses her voice to speak up for the Greenock girls. The entire ensemble is powerful in conveying the close-knit solidarity of the workers, helped by a script full of witty banter and Chris Stuart Wilson’s choreography which imitates the repetitive, mechanical nature of the factory work and the growing collective spirit of resistance from the workers.
Jessica Worrall’s set, although minimalist, fuses the realism of the sit-in with 80s rock glam, as a disco ball twinkles above the actors’ heads. The divide between the stage and the factory creates a claustrophobic feel, imitating the month-long persistence of the sit-in alongside inventive props such as a knitted scarf. Other time indicators ground us in the tedium of the occupation, and the determination of the workers.
With the actors performing in an on-stage band, we flit between high-energy renditions of 80s hits such as ‘Kids in America’ and ‘Girls on Film’, and more sombre, reflective performances including ‘Working Class Hero’. Sparkes leads the numbers with infectious, restless energy. The balance of music complements the action, contrasting the lyrics and underscoring bass lines with the growing resistance from the workers, or the persistent refusal of the union to support them.
At the end of the performance, the actors project the names of the 140 people who participated in the sit-in. The production honours the perseverance and courage of these people above all, championing working-class voices and ensuring their history is remembered.
Image by Mihaela Bodlovic