{"product_id":"book-ij7c","title":"Brendan Behan: Borstal Boy, The Quare Fellow and The Hostage","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of some of the rockstar playwright’s finest work\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrendan 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Quare Fellow, Borstal Boy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hostage\u003c\/i\u003e rank among the greatest works of 20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century Irish literature. Dramatisations of all three appear here, alongside a short interview with Behan himself and a fascinating biographical programme celebrating his genius.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCharting Behan’s journey from shy, passionate young man to larger-than-life literary superstar, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBorstal Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e tells the story of a stammering IRA rebel who finds true friends and first love in an English borstal. \u003cb\u003eBrendan Coyle \u003c\/b\u003e(\u003ci\u003eDownton Abbey\u003c\/i\u003e) stars as Behan in this fresh take on his honest, tender 1958 memoir. Behan’s debut play, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Quare Fellow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, 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, \u003ci\u003eAn Giall\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e(\u003cb\u003eThe Hostage\u003c\/b\u003e)\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlso included is a 1959 clip from BBC Television’s \u003ci\u003eTonight\u003c\/i\u003e, featuring Brendan Behan in conversation with Derek Hart, and an episode of \u003ci\u003eGreat Lives\u003c\/i\u003e in which Joan Littlewood talks to Humphrey Carpenter about her long-time friend and collaborator.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote: Due to the age of the recordings, the sound quality on \u003ci\u003eThe Quare Fellow \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eTonight \u003c\/i\u003emay vary.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCast and credits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten by Brendan Behan\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eText copyright © Brendan Behan 1954 (\u003ci\u003eThe Quare Fellow\u003c\/i\u003e), 1958 (\u003ci\u003eBorstal Boy, The Hostage\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBorstal Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCast: Brendan Coyle, Jonny Holden, Joseph Ayre, Leah Marks, Ewan Bailey, Connor Curren, Samuel James, Gerard McDermott\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDramatised by Martin McNamara\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirected by Anne Isger\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduction Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSound: Anne Bunting, Jenni Burnett, Ali Craig and Cal Knightley\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA BBC Audio Production for BBC Radio 4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 Apr 2023\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Quare Fellow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCast: 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\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdapted and produced by David A. Turner\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Sep 1969\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Hostage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCast: Michael Baguley, Brian Kidd, Kieron Smith, Ann Callanan, John Hewitt, Anne Kent, Anthony Finigan, Stephen Ryan, Sean Kearns, Tom Jordan\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated by Lorcán Ó Treasaigh\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirected by Jeremy Howe\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBagpipes played by Brian Kidd\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 3, 12 Aug 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBrendan Behan interview from \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eTonight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePresented by Derek Hart\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith Brendan Behan\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Television Service, 21 Apr 1959\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGreat Lives: Brendan Behan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePresented by Humphrey Carpenter\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith Joan Littlewood\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced by Peter Everett\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Nov 2001\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49351702348080,"sku":"BDij7c","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/550222-ij7c-Square.jpg?v=1734315962","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-ij7c","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}