“Sailmaker”
By Alan Spence
The play is semi-autobiographical
• Alan Spence included events from his own life in the play (e.g.
His mother died when he was 11; his father had financial and
employment problems).
• The relationship between Davie and Alec is similar to Spence’s
relationship with his own dad.
• He had a similar background to Alec and grew up in a similar
part of Glasgow.
Key areas for study
• Setting.
• Main themes.
• Use of dramatic techniques.
• The developing relationship between Alec and his father, Davie.
• How Alec changes and develops as a character.
• The developing relationship between Alec and his cousin, Ian.
• The symbolism of the yacht.
Introduction to the play
Setting
• Glasgow.
• 1960s.
• Main location is a Glasgow tenement flat and its surrounding
streets and back courts.
• Evidence of poverty/ deprivation.
Main characters
• Davie.
• Alec (son of Davie)
• Billy (younger brother of Davie; uncle of Alec)
• Ian (cousin of Alec; nephew to Davie; son of Billy).
Main themes
• Grief and loss.
• Religion.
• Poverty.
• Family relationships.
(we may identify others as we go along)
Techniques used in the play
•Lighting.
•Stage directions.
•The compression of time.
•Characters entering and exiting the
stage.
Lighting and Stage Directions
Stage directions: an instruction in the text
of a play which indicates the position,
movement or tone of the actor on stage.
We can find out more about a character by
examining any stage directions that we
are given.
For example
On page 7, the author uses stage directions very effectively
to give us information about how Davie is coping with
the death of his wife.
After he has told Alec the news about his mother’s death,
the stage directions state that Davie “Moves back,
quietly busies himself, sets fire in the hearth”.
After the funeral, the stage directions tell us that Davie
“Moves around as he is talking” to Alec.
From these two stage directions, we are able to
work out that Davie is trying to keep himself
busy and occupied so that he doesn’t have to
think about the fact that his wife has died. He
tries to keep his mind off her death in order to
cope with his grief.
Lighting= how lights are used in
the production of a play in order
to achieve particular effects on
the stage.
How is lighting used in “Sailmaker”?
It allows Alec or Davie to speak directly to the
audience (this is called a soliloquy).
These soliloquies provide the audience with insights
into their thoughts, feelings and state of mind.
NB.
Soliloquy= when a character speaks to
himself/herself, sharing his/her thoughts and
feelings with the audience. The other characters in
the play cannot hear what he/she says.
For example
On the very first page of the play (page 6), the dramatist uses
lighting and stage directions to show that Alec is delivering a
soliloquy about how he found out about his mother’s death.
In the stage directions we are told “Dark. Light on Alec, centre
stage”. This tells us that Alec is about to deliver a soliloquy to the
audience.
After the soliloquy is finished, the stage directions tell us “Lights
fade up”. This tells us that the soliloquy has ended.
The compression of time
At many points throughout the play, hours, days, weeks,
months and years pass in the matter of a few lines or pages.
For example, on page 6, Alec tells us of his reaction to the
news of his mother’s death.
Then, on page 7, without clearly telling us, the author moves
the play forward to a few days later when Davie and Alec are
tidying up after her funeral.
This technique is called “compression of time” and Alan
Spence uses it many times throughout the play.
Another example of this is on page 25. Alec and Ian are
playing outside and having a laugh. The stage
directions tell us that “They exit” and then “Davie in
Chair. Billy enters”. Then immediately we are in the
middle of a conversation taking place between Davie
and Billy a few days later.
Characters entering and exiting the stage
Throughout the play, the four main characters
enter and exit the stage on many occasions.
We must read the stage directions carefully
to follow how the author does this.
A good example of this is on page 19.
Alec and Ian are outside playing football and joking around. We
know that they leave the stage when we are told in the stage
directions that “Alec chases him offstage”.
Immediately in the stage directions, we are told “Enter Davie and
Billy”. This tells us that Davie and Billy have now entered the
stage and they are the only characters on the stage at that time.