A MAJOR new play about the Greenock Lee Jeans factory sit-in will premiere as part of a year-long programme celebrating the National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th anniversary.
Stand & Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In is the first theatrical telling based on first-hand, in-depth interviews with some of the key players involved in the occupation 1981.
Faced with the threat of their factory closing, and with 240 jobs on the line, staff at the Lee Jeans site in Larkfield barricaded the doors and staged a sit-in that lasted for seven months.
They won support from high-ranking politicians and trade unionists, and their spirit caught the attention of media around the world.
The production has been developed through conversations with key women involved in the strike and is full of authentic detail, insight and humour.
The play, with a live 80’s soundtrack, is by acclaimed writer Frances Poet, directed by Tron Theatre artistic director Jemima Levick, and is based on an idea conceived by journalist and broadcaster Paul English and Frances Poet.
It premieres at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in April 2026 before touring to venues across Scotland, with performances in June 2026 at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock.
Frances Poet, writer, said: “My first conversations with NTS about this project started back in 2020. This real life win for an underestimated workforce felt hugely timely then but, somewhat surprisingly, in each year of development the play has felt increasingly resonant.
“1981 was a time of banging pop hits but also economic crisis and the steady erosion of legal rights. The predominantly female employees at the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock faced the injustice of having a multinational corporation write off their livelihoods in the ruthless pursuit of profit. In deciding to make a stand, these women discovered a sense of agency they hadn’t known before and found their voice. It is my privilege as a writer to amplify that voice for audiences today in this exciting NTS Scottish tour.
“I hope audiences will feel as inspired as I have by the women I have got to know through this process and whose stories we tell in the play. They show us that no matter how helpless and insignificant we might feel against a powerful enemy, it is still possible for us to be agents for change.”
Jemima Levick, director, said: “It’s an honour to tell the story of these women, who quietly changed history from a factory in Greenock by staying true to what they believed in. They saved a community and proved that resistance and protest can win out. It’s about time their story and their success is celebrated with songs from the era and audiences of now.”
Paul English, story consultant, said: “Growing up in Inverclyde in the 1980’s, the threat of unemployment and the fight to keep industries and communities alive in towns on the Clyde was everywhere. These women won that fight.
“Over the years, I’ve covered the story of their enduring legacy, and each time I’ve been struck by their solidarity, pride, humour and dignity, as well as the scope of what they achieved. It’s great to be part of this team bringing their inspiring story to the stage.”
Maggie Wallace, Lee Jeans worker, said: “This production means a lot to everyone who was part of the sit-in. We had no idea at the time that it would go down in history. It seems like yesterday and it’s still so fresh in my mind.
“Now with this production, everyone has a chance to come along and step back in time to watch history in the making with a great story brought to life on stage with a mix of great humour, sharing what it meant to be part of a union in the workforce. I can’t wait, I am so excited.”
Factory shop steward Helen Monaghan said: “What we all did was very brave, and it’s great to have the story told of what all the women did at the factory. Every one of them deserves recognition for it. I was only as strong as they were.”
The workforce won their fight when the facility was taken over in a management buy-out and some 140 roles saved, but the business, under its new owners, called in receivers in June 1983.
