Scuttlers (play)

Scuttlers is a 2015 play written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm. It is set in Manchester, England in 1885 and explores the lives of working-class women, focusing on their involvement with the "scuttling" gangs that were prevalent at the time. The play challenges historical narratives by centering the experiences of women and girls within this violent subculture.

The narrative revolves around a group of young women who navigate the dangers and complexities of their environment, seeking identity, belonging, and power within a society that largely ignores or marginalizes them. The play examines themes of poverty, violence, female agency, and the limitations imposed upon working-class women in Victorian England. It also considers the social and economic conditions that contributed to the rise of scuttling gangs and the roles women played within them.

Scuttlers was initially produced by the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Critical reception generally praised the play's exploration of a relatively unknown aspect of social history and its focus on female characters.