A brand new, musical play which chronicles the story of the UCS ‘Work-in’ of 1971-72 will be performed at Newhampton Arts Centre on Tuesday 15th March.

Townsend Theatre Productions present Yes! Yes! UCS!, a brand-new, musical play which chronicles the story of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders “Work-In” of 1971-72, in celebration of the 50th anniversary. Powerful theatrical storytelling combines with live rock and folk music from the early 70s and graphic art animated projection to bring a meaningful message of hope, social justice and the fight for the right to work.

Based on verbatim interviews with shipyard workers, Yes! Yes! UCS! is the story of two women workers in an industry facing imminent closure, drawn into the monumental, heroic battle to save thousands of jobs across Glasgow and the West of Scotland. At the time, women in pivotal roles made up little more than 5% of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders’ workforce, and their history is far less well known. Townsend Theatre Productions’ trademark gritty drama depicts the traditions and skills of Scottish shipbuilding, while shining a light on the role women played in the fight for the right to work, the power of community solidarity, collective resistance and workers’ control.

With the refusal by the incumbent Tory government in 1971 to invest in what they called “lame-duck” industries came the threat that the massive Glasgow and Clydebank shipyards, that made up the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS), would face closure. Shop Stewards - including well known Scottish Trade Union Activists Jimmy Reid and Jimmy Airlie - tried a new tactic from the usual union strikes and sit-ins, resulting in the now famous UCS “Work-in”, designed to show that workers were not just willing to work, but that demand for their work existed.

Louise Townsend directs and produces, alongside writer and performer Neil Gore. The two have collaborated across all Townsend Theatre Productions past projects. The cast are young actor/musicians Janie Thomson and Heather Gourdie; musical direction is provided by well-known cellist, Beth Porter of the Bookshop Band and Eliza Carthy’s Wayward Band;