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Paddy Leonard, 28 Jan
The history of the shirt factories in Derry and the vital importance
economically to this city has been well documented over the years.
But what about the impact on the lives of the young girls sent to work
in these factories.
Some at the tender age of fourteen or fifteen.
Some were without doubt hidden gems denied the opportunities to go on
to further higher education because of the financial situation in their
homes.
A new play 'Factory Girls and Rock ‘n Roll' from Derry's Willie Deery
which opens at the Millennium Forum on Friday, 10th February tells the
story of three such factory girls from Creggan.
They not only leave St. Mary’s School on a Friday and start work in the
City factory the following Monday, but they have plans which were
months in the making to also attend their first big showband dance in
Borderland on the Friday of the same week.
They aim to hit the ground running and go from school pinafores to
dance dresses in the space of one week.
Their excitement is palpable and with lots of youthful exuberance
their expectations are that leaving school will unlock all their
potential of making money and will also provide them with many
opportunities for love and romance at the dances.
They plan on making their first week as factory girls a memorable one.
However, before they can attend their first showband dance they need
answers to some very important, personal and awkward questions.
Hoping that the famed agony aunts of the factory will be able to answer
all for them, they settle on a list of questions.
[Derry_dance_hall_scene_in_the_60_s.-1674490357565.jpeg]
The play set in 1964 is laced throughout by the music of that period,
with lots of live singing and dancehall scenes, reminiscent of the
Crit, Corinthian, Embassy, Borderland, Plaza Buncrana and the Memorial
Hall.
Tickets £16.50 are now on sale online from www.millenniumforum.co.uk or
by phone 028 71264455.