Men Should Weep

Men Should Weep (originally called Quancos Should Dance) is a play by Ena Lamont Stewart, written in 1947. It is set in Glasgow during the 1930s depression, with all the action taking place in the household of the Morrison family. It is a typical example of Scottish contemporary theatre and some Scottish school students learn the play for their Higher (Scottish) drama and English literature course.

Men Should Weep was written for the Glasgow Unity Theatre in 1947 but only received great acclaim when it was revived by 7:84 Company Scotland. An initial draft of the play was much darker in nature but was rewritten to the relatively lighthearted version one can see today.

The play deals with many issues, each stemming from a central theme of poverty: male and female roles in society are tackled through the characters of Maggie, a housewife and John Morrison, who is unemployed (also the overpowering Isa and sexist Lily); the resilience of youth is displayed in the younger children, Edie and Ernest, who cope very well with the conditions; corruption is explored through Alec; the importance of community is apparent through the neighbours, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Bone and Mrs Harris, and through overall interactions in the play, and Jenny Morrison shows growth and the gain of independence. All of these are catalysed somewhat by the overwhelming poverty of the depression.

The play is set in the 1930s and it's a winter evening in the kitchen of the Morrisons home in the east end of Glasgow. The play opens on a disordered tenement household where six of the seven children, two parents and Granny of the Morrison family live. The chaos of family life, held together by Maggie, is clearly depicted but the overall tone is lighthearted and the audience can see that the family is a happy one. At one point Edie runs to the toilet and doesn't return until Act Three as she has blocked the toilet and lost the key. The tone begins to darken with the mention of the troublesome son Alec and his wife Isa whose home has collapsed.

Alec and Isa arrive drunk at the Morrison household with conflicts immediately escalating between John and his son. As the drunken pair go to bed, John and Maggie discuss children. John realises Jenny isn't home and gets quite angry. Soon he hears her in the close mouth with a man and an argument ensues as he drags her in. Jenny is becoming more independent but John is uncomfortable with this and her growing sexuality. Jenny, who is fed up with the conditions the family has to live in, speaks of plans to leave

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