The Slab Boys by John Byrne: School Edition

A Schools Edition of The Slab Boys by Scottish playwright John Byrne, a popular set text for SQA Higher English.

A semi-autobiographical work, The Slab Boys is set in the slab room of A.F. Stobo & Co Carpet Manufacturers in Paisley and the action takes place on one day in 1957. It explores themes such as rebellion and conformity, social class and social mobility, youth, deception, and frustrated ambition and achievement.

This edition includes:

- An introduction by John Byrne, who was a 'slab boy' himself before becoming a playwright and artist

- The full playscript

- Notes, quotations and questions to improve students' understanding of the play and support study/revision

- Tasks and activities that build the skills of analysis and evaluation that students must demonstrate in the exam

- Assessment advice for the Critical Reading question paper

This is the only single-volume version of The Slab Boys, taken from The Slab Boys Trilogy.