WE ARE THE LIONS, MR. MANAGER! Comes to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

The remarkable story of Jayaben Desai and the Grunwick Strike is coming to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in October. Townsend Theatre Productions' We Are the Lions, Mr Manager!, written by Neil Gore and directed by Louise Townsend, can be seen at the Scarborough theatre on 22 October.

In 1976, six workers walked out of Grunwick Film Processing Laboratory and Factory in Willesden. They staged a strike against their poor working conditions, demanding the right to join a union.

Less than two years later, they'd been joined by 20,000 supporters in an historic dispute fighting for better rights for poorly treated workers. Predominantly Asian women, these strikers shattered stereotypes, challenged the establishment, brought a community together to support the rights of workers and changed the face of trade unionism.

Nearly 50 years later, Townsend Theatre Productions celebrates their bravery, bringing their inspirational story to a new generation in an imaginative and stylish production with songs and music of the time.

We are the Lions, Mr. Manager! is the remarkable story of Jayaben Desai, the inspirational leader of the strike.

She was recently amongst the women chosen for the Radio 4 Women's Hour Power List: those who have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years.

She brought the issue of workplace exploitation and racism to the fore, challenged the perception of Asian women as inherently passive and docile, whilst having the measure of the most brutish and charmless of her managers, telling them: “What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo, there are many types of animals. Some are monkeys who dance on your fingertips, others are lions who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr. Manager!”

She not only stood up for workers' rights and against oppression with selfless dedication, but with her steadfast resolve, she turned the dispute into a national movement for human rights and dignity inspiring future generations.

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