Set in Reading, Pennsylvania, Sweat tells the story of a group of factory workers trying to keep their heads above water as the American steel industry collapses around them. At the centre of this group are Tracy, Cynthia and Jessie – three old friends who’ve seen each other through everything; births, deaths, marriages and a single workplace for their entire adult lives. When Tracy and Cynthia go for the same, long-fought-for promotion, deeply buried tensions begin to boil over into a compelling and touching drama.