''You’ll Have Had Your Hole'' is an in-yer-face stage play by Irvine Welsh. It is Welsh's first original play as his previous theatre pieces had been theatrical versions of his literary works, which had been adapted for the stage by other dramatists. It premiered in February 1998 at the

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

, Leeds before embarking on an international tour. The production was directed by

Ian Brown Ian George Brown (born 20 February 1963) is an English singer and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses from their formation in 1983. Following the split in 1996, he began a solo career, re ...

who had previously directed Harry Gibson's successful stage adaptation of Welsh's novel ''

Trainspotting Trainspotting may refer to: * Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads * ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh ** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel *** ''Trainspotting'' (soundtr ...

''.

Title meaning

The title, "You'll Have Had Your Hole", is a play on the expression "You'll have had your tea", a joke about Edinburgh's middle class supposed attitudes, implying a tightness in a host's attitude towards a guest. It means, "You're getting nothing for free here". The phrase 'getting your hole' is slang for having sex.

Reception

The first production of ''You’ll Have Had Your Hole'' in February 1998 by the

was met with largely negative reviews. Robert Butler wrote in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', “the ''Trainspotting'' author goes so far out his way to taunt us that one recoils from recoiling. He wants us to have a bad time”. Charles Spencer began in the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'', “The competition is undoubtedly strong but this is, I believe, the most obnoxious and contemptible play I have ever sat through”. Robert Gore-Langton in ''Express on Sunday'' concludes his review with, “I don’t know what Welsh’s message to us is, but mine to him is this: see a shrink or change your prescription”. Much of the critical antipathy centered on the character of Laney, whom many critics called misogynistic, and Welsh’s use of elements of the romance formula alongside graphic violence. Welsh said he was not concerned about the negative reviews as he was "working on the premise that condemnation from the out-of-touch is as valid an endorsement as praise from the hip".

References

*Butler, Robert. “You’ll Have Had Your Hole”. Theatre Record. Vol 18, No 4: 1998. 221-225. (also published in Independent. 1.3.98) *Gore-Langton, Robert. Theatre Record. 18 (1998). 221-225. (also published in Express. 1.3.98) *Spencer, Charles. Theatre Record. Vol 18, No 4: 1998. 221-225. (also published in Daily Telegraph. 24.2.98) *Welsh, Irvine. You’ll Have Had Your Hole. Methuen, London: 1998. {{Irvine Welsh 1998 plays Plays by Irvine Welsh Plays set in Scotland