Spanning the 1950s to the 70s the plays capture the rebellious mood of a postwar generation growing up to a backdrop of James Dean Elvis sharpsuited glamour hope and despairJohn Byrne takes the slab room he worked in and makes it pure theatre the scams the dreams the aloof but gorgeous girl the despair of life back home the obligatory tormenting of the office weed and the mandatory boy chat and pranks all help the day to pass Phil and Spanky explode onto the stage in a classic vaudeville doubleactNow considered one of Scotlands defining literary works of the twentieth century the Slab Boys Trilogy premiered at the Traverse back in the late 1970s and early 80s taking Scotland then Britain and then Broadway quickly by storm