MEN SHOULD WEEP Ena Lamont Stewart The whole play is set in the Morrison’s flat in the east end of glasgow. It’s the 1930s. The depression is on and there is little work for men and little money around

The front of a tenement slum 1930s

The back of a tenement slum around 1930

There is no toilet in the flat and everyone shares one outside their tenement

The people in the tenement Would share a Washing line space. No flats had hot running water Some had no water At all

Whole flat Facing left Facing right. The flat was one Sitting space, one Kitchen and a bed usually in a cupboard. An extra bed would Pull out like a drawer From the bigger bed

The close was A stairway. At Each level is Two flats one on the left side one on the right side There would be about 7 or 8 flats in a Tenement Because there flats Were so small The stairs were A place for kids to Play and people To chat and hang out

The kids had no space so mostly played out in the Back of the tenement. In mud, and yuck and not nice things (conditions of course that often lead to illness)

John is trying to find work but can’t Instead of going to the pub he goes to the library. This is a picture of the Gorbals Library (south east side of Glasgow) in the 1930s

Act I scene One. Winter, in Flat. Meet Maggie, Granny and kids Lily (maggie’s sister) comes by. Talks with Maggie about how poor she is (Lily isn’t as poor), the kids having lice, no clothes to keep them warm, Gives Maggie tin of beans, they talk about how she doesn’t like John (even though he tries hard and doesn’t drink), hear Jenny’s hanging with bad people, Bertie is sick but Maggie not taking to hospital, John comes home Lily leaves Maggie and John talk. We find out they love each other and are very worried about how to make it all work. Mrs Harris & Mrs Wilson (neighbour) comes over tells them Alec & Isa’s (son and daughter in law) flat has fallen down and they are missing. John goes out to look for them Mrs Harris, Mrs Wilson, Maggie talk about Mrs Bone (neighbour) being abused. All go home. Maggie goes to bed.

Act One Scene Two same day closer to midnight. Bed and pillow on ground Alec and Isa move into Maggie & John’s flat. Isa is not a nice to Alec. They all go to bed. Maggie & John share some beans talk about how to make it work Jenny comes home from being out with friends. John gets mad at her, makes her wash her make up off, big fight cause she’s been drinking, Jenny runs away.

Act II, Scene I A week later, tidy kitchen mattress near wall. Maggie & John out Neighbours hanging out with Granny before she gets picked up and moved. Isa, Jenny Alec come home to the ladies watching kids and granny Maggie comes home and talks about Bertie with TB being kept in hospital till Maggie sorts the living conditions out. Granny & neighbours leave. Lily, Maggie, Jenny, Isa talk about what the doctors said and then Maggie tries to get Jenny to move back home but she gets her suitcase and leaves meets John at door. he’s sad. She still goes Maggie alone with John. Talk about the terrible stuff happening to them (Jenny and Bertie)

Act Two Scene two a month later in the afternoon Alec and Isa fight about Isa maybe leaving with Peter Robb, Isa goes to bed to calm down Maggie and Alec talk sends Alec for chips he whines and she lets him go get a bit of whisky John comes home and is really mad about alcohol in his home Isa gets up and flirts with John. Ernest talks about needing new football boots they talk about how they can do it.

Act III Christmas Eve afternoon Ernest listening to Jazz, Granny back, Maggie in a new dress John gives Maggie a red hat for Christmas, Ernie gets new football boots Mrs Bone and Mrs Harris come over all happy christmas gossip Isa come in to get her stuff to leave. Alec finds her. They have a huge fight and she stabs him and when he’s fallen over she grabs her stuff and leaves Lily and Maggie together. Jenny comes home to tell them she’d been to hospital and learned about Bertie’s TB and she’s got their name on a council house list, because she ‘s dating a rich guy she’ll cover the deposit and get them to a better house. John comes home gets really mad and then Maggie puts her foot down and says they are going to the new house. The end

SOCIAL SUB TOPICS Lack of Employment Poor Working Conditions Scottish Nationalism/Politics Quality of Health/Health system/TB/Other illnesses Poor Living Conditions Food/Lack there of Children/School Fun/Social lives Role of Women & Role of Man Immigration/Emmigration WWI ending and WWII coming - affecting people in Scotland