The Contractor

Synopsis

A marquee tent rises and falls on an English lawn, mirroring the ebb and flow of family dynamics and class tensions.

Frank, a successful tent contractor, oversees the erection of a wedding marquee for his daughter Claire’s nuptials. As his crew of misfits and ex-cons labors under the watchful eye of foreman Kay, the tent becomes a microcosm of working-class struggles and generational divides. Paul, Ewbank’s disillusioned son, drifts between worlds, helping with the tent while preparing to leave home.

Storey crafts a richly textured exploration of labour, family, and social change in post-war Britain. Through naturalistic dialogue and the rhythms of manual work, he exposes the tensions between tradition and progress, loyalty and ambition. The play’s form mirrors its content – the tent’s assembly, use, and dismantling provide a potent metaphor for life’s transient nature and the breakdown of established social structures.