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Follow the Money is a musical comedy which comes to The Kill One in Duke Street on 29 and 30 January 2026.

It is based on the memories of women at the frontline of Barrow’s banks - the ladies who stamped the cheques and counted the cash in an institution at the heart of the community.

Written by two former Barrow bank workers, Enid Milligan and Carmen Sayle, the play looks at the great shipyard strike of 1988 when banks offered a lifeline to cash-strapped families. The play also chronicles how banks changed from looking after customers to becoming more target-driven and focused on profits.

Enid and Carmen worked as Bank Cashiers in Duke Street for more than a quarter of a century and witnessed the winds of change in the banking industry and life itself.

Key themes in Follow the Money include gender equality and industrial relations. At one stage Enid and Carmen appeared on union posters promoting bank workers' rights.

Ahead of the upcoming production, we spoke to the two former colleagues about workers' rights, cash and community

What was it like working in a Barrow bank in the 80s and 90s?

Enid: We both joined Barclays in the late 1970s. At the start it was fun. We all got on very well together. We knew all the customers by first name. There was always a buzz. We felt valued by the community. The Bank Manager would be grandfather-like - a figurehead to make friends in the community - always looking after the staff and customers. In those early days it was about wanting the very best for our customers. But as the years went by, banking changed. It went from delivering great service for customers to wanting to make money.

Carmen: The early days were very happy times. We worked hard and played hard. We had the knowledge of who the customers were. The butcher would bring in notes covered in mince. The chip shop owner would bring in cash which was greasy. We knew everyone.

What was it like for women workers?

Carmen: A key theme in the play is gender and equality. People will be quite shocked by the lack of equality in the 1970s. For example a woman had to leave if they were having a baby - there was no such thing as maternity leave.

Enid: A woman cashier would be sent home for wearing trousers - you wouldn’t believe it now! But despite us being discriminated against on a daily basis, they were largely happy times.

Tell us about the shipyard strike of 1988 - when more than 12000 workers in the town went on strike over a dispute involving holidays. What was your role in helping families?

Carmen: During the 13-week shipyard strike we were on the Personal Banker Desks. We were very lenient in helping people with short-term overdrafts. We didn’t break any rules, but we bypassed some of the Senior Staff to do this. After the strike an Official from the union came to visit us to thank us for the help we had given to families.

Enid: Our husbands were in the shipyard too. So we were in the same position as everyone else. We knew what it was like to not have the money coming in. There were marches through the town. They were hard times for Barrow people, there were soup kitchens and families really struggled.

How did you see your role at that time?

Enid: We were there to help. People would come in wanting short-term loans just to tide them over. People needed to pay for things that you couldn’t manage without - things like nappies - essential items.

Carmen: We could agree up to £300 and were generous in giving that out. We knew that once the strike was over and wages started coming in, that people would chip away at the debt. And they did. Barrow families paid every single penny back.

Follow the Money is on at The Kill One in a double bill with Life Hacks which explores poverty in a positive way and shines a light on who we turn to when resilience isn’t enough.

The Kill One
Thursday 29 and Friday 30 January
Tickets are FREE or by donation here

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