The slab boys

From the fifties to the seventies, through Brylcream and Elvis to fluorescent underpants and hash cookies, the first play in 'The Slab Boys' trilogy (followed by 'Cuttin' a Rug' and 'Still Life') catches the vibrant idiom of a whole generation. Powerful high farce rises out of the tension between Phil and Spanky's youthful wit and exuberance, combining with the dark undercurrent of sheer cruelty in their treatment of the Slab Room wimp, Hector, and other victims. 'The Slab Boys' premiered at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre in 1978.