Sailmaker

This play is set in Glasgow around the time the shipyards in Govan started to close down.  It focuses on the relationship between two characters, Alec and Davie, a father and son. Davie is a teenager and Alec, a former Sailmaker, is working as a debt collector to make ends meet.

There is a distinct tension in the relationship between father and son and the situation between the pair declines as the play progresses. The death of the matriarch is clearly impacting on them and each deals with it differently, Davie concentrating on his school work and Alec concentrating on drinking and gambling

The two men have a clear love for each other that is often unspoken, but the father makes promises he never fulfills and seems to fall apart more and more as the play progresses. There is a backdrop of tension between Catholic and Protestant that is apt for the setting of Glasgow and introduces the theme of religious bigotry.

The play appeals to boys in particular and is probably best studied at Access 3/ Intermediate One Level, although a more sophisticated study could take place at levels beyond these.

The LTS resource below is an excellent one that can be accessed straight from their site: