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Brendan Behan

BRENDAN BEHAN  (1923 - 1964)

 Nationality:    Irish
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a


Brendan Behan was born in Dublin in 1923. Behan left school at fourteen but spent two two years in Borstal and a further four (1942-46) in prison for political activities. Out of these experiences came his autobiography, Borstal Boy (1958), and his first stage play, The Quare Fellow (1954). His first radio plays were broadcast in Ireland in 1952 and he was writing a column for the Irish Press in 1954; but it was with the enormous success of Joan Littlewood's London productions of The Quare Fellow (1956) and The Hostage(in 1958), combined with Behan's much publicised drinking bouts, that he achieved international fame. a third play, Richard's Cork Leg, was left almost complete at his death in 1964 and was edited and directed by Alan Simpson for the 1972 Dublin Theatre Festival.
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below is a list of Brendan Behan's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

 Big House, The         Borstal Boy         Garden Party, The         Hostage, The         Moving Out         New House, The         Quare Fellow, The         Richard's Cork Leg         Time For A Gargle

Big House, The

Brendan Behan
-

Notes:
broadcast 1957

1st Produced:
Dublin    1958

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "The Complete Plays", Eyre Methuen, London, 1978   978-0413387806

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Borstal Boy

Synopsis:
a couple of the boys get called pouf - but this might just be banter. Tubby though enjoys watching the boys shower.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, NY,    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, theme/character, full length

Parts:
Male:  19            Female:  4            Other:  20 extras

Further Reference:
-

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Garden Party, The

Brendan Behan
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "The Complete Plays", Eyre Methuen, London, 1978   978-0413387806

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hostage, The

Brendan Behan
a young Cockney soldier is taken hostage for an IRa man who is due to be hanged in Belfast

Notes:
aka An Gaill (Dublin, 1958), Written in collaboration with Joan Littlewood

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play with Music

Parts:
Male:  9            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
Wearing - The London Stage 59.268; 59.98

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Moving Out

Brendan Behan
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "The Complete Plays", Eyre Methuen, London, 1978   978-0413387806

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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New House, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
includes radio plays Moving Out And A Garden Party

1st Produced:
Dublin    1958

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Best Short Plays of the World Theatre 1958-1967", Crown, New York, 1974   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Quare Fellow, The

Brendan Behan
Discussions in an English prison before "The Quare Fellow" is due to be hanged

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Pike, Dublin    1954

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  22            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
Wearing - The London Stage 56.97; 56.154

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Richard's Cork Leg

Brendan Behan
The Hero and Cronin wait in a graveyard with some prostitutes. They plan to disrupt the funeral of someone killed fighting communists in the Spanish Civil War

Notes:
completed by Alan Simpson

1st Produced:
Dublin    1972

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eyre Methuen, London, 1973   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Irish Comedy

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  extras

Further Reference:
-

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Time For A Gargle

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Leicester    1973

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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