About the Book
A collection of some of the rockstar playwright’s finest work
Brendan Behan is widely remembered as a hard-drinking, wise-cracking writer who turned up roaring drunk for interviews and cared little for authority. But he was more than just a hell-raising celebrity. His wit, expressive use of language and understanding of human nature made his writing famous around the world, and his masterpieces The Quare Fellow, Borstal Boy and The Hostage rank among the greatest works of 20th century Irish literature. Dramatisations of all three appear here, alongside a short interview with Behan himself and a fascinating biographical programme celebrating his genius.
Charting Behan’s journey from shy, passionate young man to larger-than-life literary superstar, Borstal Boy tells the story of a stammering IRA rebel who finds true friends and first love in an English borstal. Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) stars as Behan in this fresh take on his honest, tender 1958 memoir. Behan’s debut play, The Quare Fellow, first produced in 1954, was based on his own prison experiences. A darkly funny drama about a group of inmates awaiting the imminent execution of a fellow prisoner, it is performed here by players from the Arts Theatre, Lyric Theatre, and Ulster Theatre Company, Belfast. And finally, translated from the Gaelic by acclaimed writer Lorcán Ó Treasaigh, An Giall (The Hostage) revolves around a British soldier held hostage by the IRA in a Dublin brothel. This 1988 Radio 3 version is the first English production of Behan’s Irish tragicomedy, which formed the basis of Joan Littlewood 's 1958 Theatre Workshop hit.
Also included is a 1959 clip from BBC Television’s Tonight, featuring Brendan Behan in conversation with Derek Hart, and an episode of Great Lives in which Joan Littlewood talks to Humphrey Carpenter about her long-time friend and collaborator.
Note: Due to the age of the recordings, the sound quality on The Quare Fellow and Tonight may vary.
Cast and credits
Written by Brendan Behan
Text copyright © Brendan Behan 1954 (The Quare Fellow), 1958 (Borstal Boy, The Hostage)
Borstal Boy
Cast: Brendan Coyle, Jonny Holden, Joseph Ayre, Leah Marks, Ewan Bailey, Connor Curren, Samuel James, Gerard McDermott
Dramatised by Martin McNamara
Directed by Anne Isger
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell
Sound: Anne Bunting, Jenni Burnett, Ali Craig and Cal Knightley
A BBC Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 Apr 2023
The Quare Fellow
Cast: John McBride, Louis Rolston, Michael Duffy, Sam McCready, Maurice O’Callaghan, Michael Lynch, Charles Witherspoon, Bill Hunter, Peter Adair, Barry Cowan, Brian Cullen, Harold Goldblatt, Joe McPartland, J.J. Murphy, Patrick Brannigan, Jack McQuoid, Jeremy Jones, George Mooney
Adapted and produced by David A. Turner
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Sep 1969
The Hostage
Cast: Michael Baguley, Brian Kidd, Kieron Smith, Ann Callanan, John Hewitt, Anne Kent, Anthony Finigan, Stephen Ryan, Sean Kearns, Tom Jordan
Translated by Lorcán Ó Treasaigh
Directed by Jeremy Howe
Bagpipes played by Brian Kidd
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 12 Aug 1988
Brendan Behan interview from Tonight
Presented by Derek Hart
With Brendan Behan
First broadcast BBC Television Service, 21 Apr 1959
Great Lives: Brendan Behan
Presented by Humphrey Carpenter
With Joan Littlewood
Produced by Peter Everett
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Nov 2001
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
