Perfect Days
A play by Liz Lochhead
Presentation by Scott, Amy, Jessica and Alex
The setting…
 The
play is set in Glasgow, all the
scenes take place in a large and
stylish Merchant City Loft which is the
home of the main character Barbs
Marshall.
 The play is set in the present day,
which because of the age of the text
would be the later half of the 90’s.
The characters
Barbs Marshall: 39; a Glasgow celebrity
hairdresser
 Alice Inglis: 44; Barbs’s oldest friend
 Sadie Kirkwood: 62; Barbs’s mother
 Brendan Boyle: 27-37; Barbs’s best friend
 Davie Marshall: 42; Barbs’s estranged
husband
 Grant Steele: 26; an attractive stranger

A quick summary…

Barbs Marshall is a celebrity Hairdresser in Glasgow. She
is successful, has her own show on local TV, a nice
apartment in a trendy of the city, but she is 39 years old
and almost deafened by the ticking of her biological
clock. To make matters worse, her mother is a nag, her
best friend has been keeping her in the dark, and her
ex-husband has a new girlfriend. Then she meets a 26
year old stranger who seems more than ready to
oblige…
Barbs
 Barbs
Marshall is a very flamboyantly
attractive woman in her late 30’s.
 As
a ‘celebrity’ hairdresser in
Glasgow, she does what every
stereotypical hairdresser does and
talks…and talks…and talks.. And does
not shut up.

As well as ranting on and on, she has this habit
of saying the most random words, “Chinese!”
”Computers!”

She has a very stereotypical view on marriage in
middle age, and the inevitable outcome that
“…man in new relationship younger woman…”,
despite being married to Davie “twenty two
years come November.”

Even with her own mother, Sadie, Barbs is still
that stereotypically loud-mouthed woman, not
caring what she says in front of her own mother,
“- I nearly shat a brick.”

However, she does show that soft side that noone sees very often, “Mum I’m very grateful –”.

She also had that idea that most women have:
“… entering my twenties as a grown up married
lady…”. And despite her marriage to Davie failing
at 29, she had another idea that “…I fancied
myself entering my thirties as a swinging single
career woman…”
Despite being only 39, Barbs feels that she is
getting old too quickly.
 This leads to her revealing that she wants to try
and get pregnant.
 Her oldest friend Alice Inglis thinks that she’s
decided to do this “out of the blue”, But Barbs
asks “Doesn’t every woman want a pop at
pregnancy before her womb goes pear shape?”
Which shows that Barbs has a very stereotypical
outlook on life, and that Barbs wants to have a
baby soon before she’s too old.

Alice
Alice is Barbs oldest friend and sister of
Davie Marshall, She is mainly there to
listen to Barbs complaints and moaning
about the fact she doesn’t have a baby.
 “What a fucking wanker”

Alice also shows us a social issue by the
fact that she had a son at a very young
age and was forced to give him up, and
now she is trying to make up for not
seeing him.
 “I know your mother.”
 “You know my …? Oh you mean you know
Alice’’

Sadie
Sadie is Mother to Barbs. She wants Barbs
to stay with her estranged Husband,
Davie, maybe because she is from a
different generation, much like the time of
“The Steamie”. A generation which
thought that marriage meant forever.
 “…You broke that boy’s Heart…”

Brendan
Brendan is Barb’s best friend, a
hairdresser, somewhere between the ages
of 27 to 37, and is homosexual.
 His homosexuality defines him, and he is
constantly gossiping.
 His strong friendship with Barbs leads him
to agree to donate his sperm so Barbs can
have her baby


As he is a stereotype of a gay man his
homosexuality becomes a social issue in the
course of the play, as when Barbs reveals she is
trying to get pregnant with Brendan there are
objections from the older generation, specifically
her mother Sadie, “Disgusting! That’s what it is.
He’s a bloody homosexual!” and ‘’it’s not and
never natural’’.

This shows how the older generations were
uncomfortable with homosexuality and contrasts
with the acceptance of the (slightly) younger
generations such as Alice has no problem with
Brendan’s sexuality and is supportive of Barb’s
attempts to become pregnant with Brendan’s
baby.
Davie
Davie is the Estranged husband of Barbs and
throughout the play he serves to show how
Barbs reacts to change like when he tells her he
has changed and Barbs is pleasantly surprised.
 “I’ve turned over a new leaf doll “
 Davie also shows that Barbs expects it to be
normal to have a kid before your biological clock
is up
 “I might decide to have a baby on my own”

Grant
Grant is Alice’s son, and becomes Barbs’
lover.
 He was saving up for a trip round the
world when he met Barbs ‘‘So your off
round the world as soon as you get the
money together’’

He falls in love with Barbs, but is
completely unaware that she is trying to
get pregnant with Brendan
 He creates a rift between Barbs and Alice,
as Barbs cannot believe that Alice never
told her about Grant ‘‘She just…all these
years.Said Nothing.’’ and later on as their
relationship is revealed Alice insinuates
‘’You just couldn’t see me happy, could
you, without you having to take him away
from me?’’
