#The hostage play full

Drawing on qualitative research approaches in autoethnography. Yet what other ways may we study the impact of youth-produced images on audiences? Here, we explore the role that visual researchers occupy as audiences to youth-led participatory visual work addressing critical issues. There is increasing scholarly attention to the creative ways in which young people are engaging in policy dialogue. In this essay, I argue that Behan's act of transculturation reveals a great deal more reflexivity and depth than many of his critics would allow, developing an iconoclastic dialogue between British and Irish mid-century life. Yet for all their differences, the plays also share a common desire to transcend the divisions forged by the colonial experience through critical understandings of life on either side of the Irish Sea. Comparisons between both works reveal significant changes that illuminate Behan's relationship with both nations and provide a sometimes oblique metacommentary regarding his most pressing political and personal anxieties. In understanding Brendan Behan's most celebrated and controversial translation, of his spare Irish language play An Giall (1958) to its riotous English counterpart The Hostage (1958), understanding the problematic intercultural transfer' between British and Irish life in the 1950s is crucial. Likewise, we truly hope you enjoy your stay with us – just don’t get too comfortable.As Susan Bassnett and Harish Trivedi argue, translation does not happen in a vacuum, but in a continuum it is not an isolated act, it is part of an ongoing process of intercultural transfer'. Behan never let anyone get comfortable with any one emotion, theme, mood, or style in The Hostage.

#The hostage play full

You can’t wait to see him because he’s full of hilarious stories, songs and good times - but at the same time, you never know when the drinking turns to drunk and you might get a backhand to the temple. In rehearsals, I referred to this play as your favorite drunk Uncle. We encourage you to come back again because no two performances will ever be the same. In the spirit of previous productions we have drawn from the original Irish text, the British text and added our own as the need would arise. Secondly, the improvisational nature of the production and the liberal use of music throughout provided opportunities for actors they don’t often find on our stage. First, the Irish themes of identity, autonomy and political and religious hypocrisy resonate with our company and audience. However, they still serve to highlight and offset the deeper political and moral questions that continue to plague us today.Īfter recently re-reading this play, it seemed to scream out as a perfect fit for Banshee. The removal of the fourth wall, inclusion of several new characters and songs and the improvisational performances pushed the production in to a realm that shocked many theatre goers of the time.įifty years later, these concepts are no longer shocking.

Needless to say the subsequent British production differed significantly from the Irish version. Behan took the play to Joan Littlewood, director of the Theatre Workshop in London who was doing some of the first explorations into improvisational development and Absurdist Theatre.

Although it enjoyed considerable success, Brendan Behan was not satisfied with the production and felt it suffered under the naturalistic acting style that was currently de rigueur. The Hostage, originally written in Irish and titled An Giall, had it’s premiere in Dublin in 1957. 'McKerrin Kelly meets the challenge with imagination and ingenuity', Reviewed by José Ruíz for 'Director McKerrin Kelly has done a superb job of keeping a dream cast on task and succeeds at dissolving the audience in stitches'. 'McKerrin Kelly strikes just the right note of controlled disorderliness – a tone so spontaneous, we feel that we are truly part of the play' LA Times Even during the most chaotic moments, of which there are many, her guidance is evident.' Back Stage West 'Director McKerrin Kelly exposes the production's heart and soul. Awards: Backstage West Garland Nomination for Directingįeaturing: Vash Boddie, Kacey Camp, Andra Carlson, Mark Colson, Dan Conroy, Amanda Deibert, Casey Kramer, Barry Lynch, John McKenna, Jennifer Pennington, Levi Petree, Patrick Reiger, John Schumacher, and Marco Tazioli