Brendan behan
Brendan Behan
(1923-1964)
Life and work of the Irish author and playwright
His life
born 09/02/1923
father: house painter, imprisoned as a republican (end of Civil War)
strong literary and cultural atmosphere in his home
1973: at 14 B. was apprenticed to his father’s trade
already member of Fianna Eireann (IRA youth organisation), contributor to “The United Irishman”
IRA launched bombing campaign in England in 1939, B. was trained in explosives
arrested at his arrival in Liverpool
02/1940 sentenced to 3 years Borstal detention, used excellent library there
1942 Dublin: IRA parade, B. fired at a detective à 14 years’ penal servitude
became a fluent Irish speaker, Borstal experiences were published in “The Bell”
1946 released as part of a general amnesty, returned to painting
some years he concentrated on writing verse in Irish
à Paris, 1950 return to Dublin, cultivated his reputation in the city’s literary circles
1953: as Emmett Street: published ”The Scarperer”, Irish Times crime story, weekly column from April on
1954: The Quare Fellow well received in the tiny Pike Theatre
1955: marriage with Beatrice Salkeld, art painter
1956: production at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Royal Stratford (London) à wider reputation
drunken BBC interview, always media attention à alcoholic
1958: An Giall / produced at Joan Littlewood’s as The Hostage (changed)
Summer 1958: first collapse because of diabetes and liver complaint
lack of concentration à tape records instead of writing
11/1963: daughter Blanaid
U 20 March 1964, Meath Hospital Dublin, IRA guard of honour escorted his coffin
newspapers: biggest funeral since Michael Collins and Charles Stewart Parnell
Bernhard Scheller said in the epilogue to ”Borstal Boy”:
”Behan shows a serious philosophy of life with the impetuosity of the youth and calmness at the same time; the detailed and accurate description of both rooms and nature, humans and landscapes is accompanied by wise verses and the play with words. National prejudices and social envy is reduced by subtle portrait sketches of prisoners, wardens, priests and accurately drawn women like the Mother Superior [..
.] The author unobtrusively shows his wealth of songs, legends and old sayings and he can tell shining liar stories.”
His work
The Quare Fellow
protagonist never seen on stage
condemned man in prison, execution imminent
execution touches lives of other prisoners, warders, hangman
the play is in part a protest against capital punishment
blend of tragedy and comedy underlines survival of the prisoners' humanity in their inhumane environment
production by Joan Littlewood brought him honour and made him famous
An Giall / The Hostage
2nd play: An Giall
commissioned by Gael Linn (Irish-language organisation)
Behan translated into English
Joan Littlewood's production of The Hostage (1958) à success in London and New York
tragi-comedy deals with a closed world
Dublin brothel where IRA imprisons English soldier
Littlewood diluted Irish naturalism with interludes of music-hall singing and dancing.
Borstal Boy
autobiographical, appeared in 1958
early chapters on prison life are among his best work
victim of his own celebrity, alcoholism and diabetes
English publishers suggested dictation à Brendan Behan's Island (1962, readable collection of anecdotes and opinions à Behan moved away from republican extremism of his youth
1964:Brendan Behan's New York
1965:Confessions of an Irish Rebel, disappointing sequel to Borstal Boy
1963: Hold Your Hour and Have Another, collection of newspaper columns from the l950s
Borstal: youth prisons named after the first of them opened 1902, youths from 16-21 were arrested there
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