We Are The Lions, Mr Manager
28 November 2025
Sands Studios Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
We Are The Lions, Mr. Manager, currently touring the UK until 6th December, follows the inspiring story of the Grunwick Strike ahead of its 50th anniversary. From 1976 to 1968, Jayaben Desai led a groundbreaking strike at the Great Grunwick Film Processing Factory. One of many newly arrived Gujarati women arriving to the UK via East Africa, Desai rallies her community to stand up against unfair treatment, harassment at work, extremely low pay, and mandatory overtime at the factory. Women in her community are generally taught to be obedient, to serve the men in their lives, so it takes a strong leader to convince them to stand up and make their voices heard. With the trades union movement heavily organising throughout the country, they got strong support across the board, but the company stood sternly, drawing out the fight for dignity for two years.
The show is presented as a strong two-hander, with Rukmini Sircar taking on the role of Jayaben Desai, while Neil Gore plays every other character, skilfully slipping from role to role without skipping a beat. It’s a whirlwind of a tale that tackles the exploitation of immigrant workers, especially Asian women who were seen as agreeable and quiet, but also documents a moment in time when trade unions swept the nation, fighting for workers and supporting each other at unprecedented strength.
Underlined with musical interludes, it’s an incredibly strong rallying cry as well as a historical document, presenting an energetic narrative commemorating a pivotal moment in London’s history. There is a surprising amount of humour injected into a tale of hardship, weaving a compelling story of organised support, of people coming together to fight for their rights, and for a brighter future.
Involving the audience directly at times, it’s a strong rallying cry that runs the breadth of emotion, retelling the story of the Grunwick Strike with heart and passion. A timely and pivotal production that deserves to be seen high and low across the country.
