The Factory Girls

Synopsis

Set in a Donegal shirt factory where five women face the threat of redundancy: They decide to confront both management and union and fight to determine their own future - a fight that will change their lives and their friendship forever. The Factory Girls bears testimony to the strengths and skills of working women, the culture of work they represent, and the threat to destroy that culture.

Our Review:

23 January 2006

For its fifth anniversary, the Arcola’s flexible playing space has been transformed by designer Lizzie Clachan into a version of its former self, a clothing factory. Only this one is in Donegal and the year, in Frank McGuinness’ first play, is 1982.

Four women squabble, laugh and tease each other and their teenage messenger as they check and finish the cheap shirts. They are under pressure, already on a three-day week in a business which is failing to compete with foreign imports, but crisis looms as their inexperienced male manager, Rohan, warns of redundancies and Bonner the long-suffering union representative tells them to be realistic and accept change.

Act Two sees the set transformed into a spartan office decorated with a ghastly tropical scene, where the protesting “girls” are sitting in. There isn’t anywhere for the story to go and Rohan’s insistence that they up their productivity when stock can’t be shifted doesn’t make sense. The point is there can be no sati...

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