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boy, but has come up in the world and is now a designer. This is not as grand as it sounds – he is only one step further up the ladder and Phil and Spanky never let him forget it. Jack brings with him Alan Downie – an obviously better-off youngster whose father knows the boss, and who is going to work in the company for a while before going off to
University. This does not endear him to Phil or Spanky.
445:
Alan arriving together in his father's top-of-the-range car. Phil and Spanky spent the act drinking, lamenting Phil's job loss. Sadie complains to Miss
Walkinshaw about Mr Curry stopping her on the way to the dance, and offering her a job as his cleaner. This highlights the theme of social inequality in the trilogy.
42:
332:
The wages come round while Phil is out and Spanky is perturbed to find that Phil's and Hector's are missing – they will come round later having been specially made up. This suggests that they are going to be sacked. This is indeed the case for Phil, but then Hector comes in looking rather shocked and
305:
Once some of the early hilarity subsides, we learn that Phil's mother has been yet-again incarcerated in a ward for the mentally unstable. We also find out the real reason for Phil being late this morning: he was presenting his portfolio at the
Glasgow School of Art. He is now waiting on a phone call
289:
of 1950s industrial
Scotland. It is a semi-autobiographical work. The play is set in 1957, the year Byrne worked in Stoddard's carpet factory as a slab boy, and the year he applied to Glasgow Art School. In 1958 he was accepted to the Art School, unlike the character Phil McCann, whose application is
444:
is set in
Paisley Town Hall, on a Friday evening in 1957. Act One takes place in the ladies' and gents' cloakrooms; Act Two on the terrace overlooking the town. It is The Annual Staff Dance of A. F. Stobo & Co., Carpet Manufactures. During the first act, everyone arrives at the Hall, Lucille and
309:
Eventually, Sadie, the world-weary tea-lady, wanders in. She is wise to Phil and Spanky, but is charmed by Alan's superior manners. Sadie is also selling tickets for the Staff Dance that takes place that night. To everyone's amazement Hector buys two, and reveals that his mystery date is
Lucille – a
336:
Alan then enters and delivers Phil another piece of bad news. He has just taken a phone call for Phil, and curtly tells him that he did not get into the Art School. While he is digesting this a note arrives that his mother, who had briefly escaped from the asylum, is back in custody. Finally, Curry
211:
near
Paisley, where John Byrne worked both as a slab boy and later as a designer following graduation from art school. The slab room is a small, paint-spattered dungeon where the apprentice designers, Phil, Spanky, and Hector, mix and grind colours for the design department. Coping with this boring
557:
is set on the morning of a winter's day in 1967. Act Two is set in a winter's afternoon five years later. In Act One, Hector has just been buried, and Spanky – now a rockstar – and Phil are reminiscing about their time in the Slab Room. Lucille is married to Spanky, and they have one child. In Act
313:
Finally, in strolls
Lucille. Phil and Spanky badger her for details about Hector's courtship and it transpires that it is only in Hector's fantasy-world that she is going with him. The two turn on Hector but end up feeling rather sorry for him and resolve to help him win the fair dame. How they do
301:
of the slab room and Hector is the target and source of most of their humour. Enter, Mr. Curry, the boss, who is always trying to shame Phil and Spanky into doing some actual work. Unfortunately, Phil and Spanky are far too clever to fall for that old ruse. In comes Jack Hogg. He used to be a slab
448:
The focus of Act Two is the scene where Hector stabs himself. Hector has had enough of being the butt of all Spanky and Phil's jokes, and is waving a knife around. The lights go out, and there are the sounds of a struggle. When the lights come back on, Hector has the knife in him, and he is taken
317:
After the lunch-break (which provides the interval in the play), the Slab Boys re-assemble. Lucille appears and Phil starts to broach the subject of Hector – he's going to ask
Lucille out on Hector's behalf. Before he can reach the punch line, Hector's bloodied face appears at the window and
337:
appears, telling Phil and Spanky that they'll need to stay behind to work for a rush-job. Phil blows off at him over the sacking, assuming that he had some part in it but Curry retorts that he actually stood up for Phil.
328:
At last Phil gets round to asking
Lucille about the Staffie. Thinking he is asking on his own behalf, she agrees to go with him. Phil points out he was actually asking on the behalf of Hector. Lucille bluntly refuses.
318:
terrifies her. They are hiding him while his clothes are being "altered". There thus ensues some typical farce as Hector is hidden during various walk-ons by Jack, Lucille and Mr. Curry.
179:
in the lead roles. This is the first time that the Traverse Theatre have ever done a revival and it was received to great critical success. In April 2008, the Traverse Theatre premièred
314:
this is by crudely tailoring his already crudely-tailored clothing and attempting to give him a haircut, but succeed only in injuring his scalp with the scissors.
285:
is set in the Slab Room of A. F. Stobo & Co. Carpet Manufacturers. This story focuses on a handful of young people who have to grow up fast in the tough
449:
away to hospital. The play ends, however, on a positive, as Spanky says: "I'm nineteen with a wardrobe full of clothes... I've got everything to live for!"
199:, all the action takes place in the morning and afternoon of a Friday in 1957. The scene is the Slab Room of Carpet Manufacturers A.F. Stobo & Co. of
687:
325:, he even threw out her prosthetic breast, believing it to be a burst football. She advises Lucille to avoid men and the trouble they cause.
614:
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820:
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251:
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Spanky knuckles under and gets back to grinding the paste as Phil, despite all that has happened, exits optimistic and undefeated.
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beautiful young woman who clearly has herself set on someone better looking, and probably more importantly, richer, than Hector.
333:
Phil and Spanky assume he has also been sacked. However, to their surprise, he is actually getting promoted to the design room.
484:: University student temporarily in the Slab Room. Dressed in his father's dinner suit, which is somewhat over large for him.
840:
460:: An ex-Slab Boy. Nineteen. Dapper dresser, non-dancer. Just been sacked that afternoon and been turned down for art school.
640:
825:
297:
The opening scene introduces the three incumbent slab boys bantering away on a Friday morning. Phil and Spanky are the
472:: Nineteen. A 'weed'. Newly promoted from the Slab Room to a Designer's desk. Wearing his Uncle Bertie's dinner suit.
255:
61:
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Sadie re-appears for the afternoon tea-break and bemoans her useless husband. It appears that, following a recent
691:
835:
142:
72:
508:: Stobo's tea lady. Also there solo. Has it in for Miss Walkinshaw this evening for some reason. Bad feet.
409:, was first performed at the Traverse Theatre Club, Edinburgh, on 19 May 1979. John Breck played Phil, and
167:. The trilogy tells the story of a group of young, urban, working-class Scots during the period 1957–1972.
286:
41:
250:, produced by Laura Shapiro Kramer and Roberta Weissman, and directed by Robert Alan Ackerman, at the
526:
830:
792:
Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984-2000
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271:
267:
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705:
618:
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569:: Thirty. An artist. Formerly a Slab Boy with A. F. Stobo & Co., Carpet Manufacturers.
410:
227:
777:
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story which follows the characters of Phil, Spanky and Lucille into the 21st century.
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478:: Early twenties. A 'hard case'. Snappy dresser and ersatz Elvis. Bernadette's beau.
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refused. He described the factory as a ‘technicolour hell hole’. Byrne was raised in
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was first performed at the Traverse Theatre Club, Edinburgh, on 27 May 1982.
369:: A Designer. Early twenties. Very bad skin and hand-crafted lumber jackets.
17:
239:
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Two, Phil's mother has just been buried. Lucille is now married to Phil.
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204:
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496:: Best chum to Lucille. Working as a 'Temp' in Dispatch. A stunner.
262:
was released as a film in 1997, directed by the author. It starred
218:
was premiered at the Traverse Theatre on 6 April 1978. Directed by
641:"BBC - Education Scotland 14+ History - Social Change: Employment"
207:, Scotland. The company was based on Stoddard's carpet factory in
102:
502:: A maiden lady of indeterminate years. At the Dance on her own.
222:, and designed by Grant Hicks, the cast included, as Hector,
351:: A Slab Boy. Nineteen. Working class, from Ferguslie Park.
357:: A Slab Boy. Nineteen. From the same background as Phil.
591:: Thirty-two. Runs his own gents' outfitters in Paisley.
375:: A Sketcher. Every Slab Boy's Dream. Very attractive.
575:: Twenty-nine. Lead singer and rhythm guitar with the
254:
in New York City in 1983. The production received an
387:: The Gaffer. Scourge of the Slab Room. Mid-fifties.
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task requires them to have a strong sense of humour.
226:, now better known as a Scottish film composer and
141:is a set of three plays by the Scottish playwright
126:
118:
108:
94:
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78:
68:
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149:. The three plays which make up the trilogy are:
585:: Twenty-nine. Attractive. Fashionably dressed.
363:: A Slab Boy. Nineteen, but small for his age.
533:played Spanky, Elaine Collins played Lucille,
490:: A Sketcher and good-looking doll. Nineteen.
175:in Edinburgh starring Paul Thomas Hickey and
8:
514:: Design Room Gaffer. Ex-army, mid-fifties.
32:
294:, Paisley not far from the carpet factory.
466:: Another Slab Boy. Nineteen. Phil's pal.
230:as Jack Hogg. It was first performed as a
40:
597:: Elderly. Does things at his own pace.
606:
393:: The tea lady. Middle-aged. Bad feet.
731:"Slab Boys – Broadway Play – Original"
145:. The trilogy was originally known as
31:
7:
688:"Byrne biography at Portal Gallery"
545:, and John Byrne was the designer.
758:. 29 August 1997 – via IMDb.
579:. Like McCann, a former Slab Boy.
306:that will tell him how he got on.
299:Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
25:
706:"The slab boys - Scottish plays"
50:, the artwork also by John Byrne
407:The Loveliest Night of the Year
615:"TravCast Special: John Byrne"
1:
429:, was first performed at the
710:National Library of Scotland
171:was revived in 2003 by the
857:
256:Outer Critics Circle Award
122:1978, 1979, 1982, and 2008
27:Play written by John Byrne
55:
39:
821:Fiction set in the 1970s
816:Fiction set in the 1960s
811:Fiction set in the 1950s
794:, Orion Books, 2005 p274
401:The original version of
274:. It cost £2.5 million.
659:"History of Stoddard's"
573:George 'Spanky' Farrell
464:George 'Spanky' Farrell
425:. A rewritten version,
355:George 'Spanky' Farrell
770:"The Slab Boys (1997)"
841:Plays set in Scotland
583:Lucille (née Bentley)
287:working-class culture
183:, the fourth part of
169:The Slab Boys Trilogy
138:The Slab Boys Trilogy
48:The Slab Boys Trilogy
34:The Slab Boys Trilogy
780:on 17 February 2017.
694:on 23 December 2007.
396:
234:production starring
826:Theatre in Scotland
36:
790:Alexander Walker,
665:. 21 February 2005
537:played Jack Hogg,
433:on 13 March 1980.
272:Julie Wilson Nimmo
248:Jackie Earle Haley
577:Sparkling Casuals
562:Dramatis Personae
494:Bernadette Rooney
453:Dramatis Personae
431:Hampstead Theatre
417:was broadcast on
344:Dramatis Personae
252:Playhouse Theatre
134:
133:
130:Play, film, print
16:(Redirected from
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776:. Archived from
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621:on 27 March 2019
617:. Archived from
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173:Traverse Theatre
147:Paisley Patterns
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488:Lucille Bentley
476:Terry Skinnedar
470:Hector McKenzie
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413:played Spanky.
411:Robbie Coltrane
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373:Lucille Bentley
361:Hector McKenzie
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228:Robbie Coltrane
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442:Cuttin' a Rug
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381:: A new boy.
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59:Cuttin' a Rug
57:The Slab Boys
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46:The cover of
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19:
18:The Slab Boys
791:
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778:the original
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738:. Retrieved
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713:. Retrieved
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692:the original
667:. Retrieved
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623:. Retrieved
619:the original
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566:
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539:David Hayman
531:Gerard Kelly
527:Billy McColl
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512:Willie Curry
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567:Phil McCann
553:Act One of
482:Alan Downie
458:Phil McCann
423:The Staffie
419:BBC Radio 4
379:Alan Downie
349:Phil McCann
264:Anna Massey
236:Kevin Bacon
181:Nova Scotia
831:1978 plays
805:Categories
740:5 November
715:15 October
601:References
555:Still Life
523:Still Life
518:Still Life
323:mastectomy
268:Tom Watson
244:Val Kilmer
164:Still Life
143:John Byrne
127:Media type
73:John Byrne
62:Still Life
669:6 January
645:Bbc.co.uk
589:Jack Hogg
535:Andy Gray
367:Jack Hogg
240:Sean Penn
209:Elderslie
119:Published
109:Publisher
735:INDb.com
663:BBC News
625:27 March
549:Synopsis
543:director
541:was the
437:Synopsis
278:Synopsis
232:Broadway
87:Language
595:Workman
427:Threads
205:Glasgow
203:, near
201:Paisley
90:English
79:Country
161:, and
99:Comedy
69:Author
506:Sadie
391:Sadie
103:drama
95:Genre
742:2021
717:2022
671:2010
627:2019
270:and
246:and
101:and
774:BFI
421:as
195:In
807::
772:.
733:.
708:.
679:^
661:.
643:.
405:,
266:,
258:.
242:,
238:,
155:,
744:.
719:.
673:.
647:.
629:.
20:)
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