The 50th anniversary of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders ‘Work-In’ is being celebrated in a new musical play from Neil Gore.
Presented by the acclaimed Townsend Theatre Productions with University of Manchester, The Place Bedford, E.I.S and Unite, Yes! Yes! UCS will debut at venues across the UK from 12 February until 1 May 2022. There will be a preview performance at The Place in Bedford on 12 February 2022 before the tour launches at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford from 15-17 February 2022.
Based on verbatim interviews with the shipyard workers whose battle to save their livelihoods and their community made headlines in the early 1970s, the production features live rock and folk music from the decade and graphic art animated projection.
Featuring young actor/musicians Janie Thomson and Heather Gourdie, Yes! Yes! UCS is the story of two formidable women workers fighting to save thousands of jobs across Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Louise Townsend directs and produces the play alongside writer and performer Gore. Musical direction is by cellist Beth Porter of the Bookshop Band and Eliza Carthy’s Wayward Band. The creative team also includes lighting designer Daniella Beattie, with graphic art animation by Scarlett Rickard and Jonny Halifax and emerging artist and recent RCS graduate Ruth Darling as stage and costume designer.
Specialists in socially relevant live theatre, Townsend Theatre Productions’ previous work includes Rouse, Ye Women! (2019) – a folk flavoured work inspired by Mary Macarthur and the women chain makers of Cradley Heath and their fight for a living wage in 1910, and We Are The Lions Mr Manager (2017) – the story of Jayaben Desai, the leader of the 1976-1978 Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike.
Angela Thomas
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