![]() ![]() Faith and I don’t think it was questions they were interested in, at all, but answers. Those men were wrong on the social question. They didn’t want the whole thirty-two counties to begin with, and their five thousand acres would do them for a start. The Kerrymen said they weren’t greedy like. gave orders that they were to get off the land, that the social question would be settled when we got the thirty-county Republic. They had it all divided very nice and fair among themselves, and were ploughing and planting in great style. sent me from Dublin to the County Kerry because the agricultural labourers were after taking over five thousand acres of an estate from Lord Trales. I was in the IRA in 1916, and in 1925 H.Q. There is only one branch of the Irish Republican Army. No, the other Irish patriots, in along with you. No, your real trouble when you go to prison as a patriot, do you know what it will be? Take it from me, they’re not the worst though they’re bastards anywhere and everywhere. I assure you, my friend, I’m not afraid of Redcaps. Ah yes, of course, you’ve not yet been in Mountjoy or the Curragh glasshouse. I hope that I could never betray my trust. But then I suppose it’s all the same to you you’ll be a hero, will you not? If we’re all caught here, it’s not the opinion of the world or the police will be upsetting us, but the opinion of the Military Court. The police wouldn’t believe we’d touch it. Still, I see their reasons for choosing it too. If any of us were caught here now or at any time, it’s shamed before the world we’d be. It could have been your brother, for he was the spitting image of you. Are you splendid, or just holy? Haven’t I seen you somewhere before? It couldn’t be you that was after coming here one Saturday night … Patrick Pearse said “To serve a cause which is splendid and holy, men must themselves be splendid and holy.” It’s not good enough for the Irish Republican Army. I’d have nothing to do with the place, and the bad reputation it has all over the city. I’ll tell you the truth, if it was my doings there’d be no such thing as us coming here. There’s Bobo, Ropeen, Colette, the Mouse, Pigseye, Mulleady, Princess Grace, Rio Rita, Meg, the new girl, and myself. ![]() OFFICER: Now your rent books, please, or a list of the tenants. The Hostage was Behan’s last major success.Īnyway, here’s the scene where the “Officer” shows up at the brothel, to inform the owner, Pat, that a hostage will be held there, for the evening.ĮXCERPT FROM The Hostage, by Brendan Behan. Lots of talk and chatter about the IRA, and 1916, and martyrdom, and Ireland … A young Cockney soldier, Leslie Williams, is held hostage in the brothel, in the hopes that somehow this might stave off the execution … When the IRA member is hanged the following day, the British police eventually attack the brothel, and Leslie ends up getting killed by gunfire. He was accused of killing an Ulster policeman. The following day, an 18 year old IRA member is to be hanged. It seems that NOTHING is taken seriously. It’s a fast-moving theatrical work, very Irish – full of wise cracks, and jokes. The cast of characters is a motley array of whores and night-owls and other fringe-dwellers. ![]() It’s laugh-out-loud funny at times, but also angry, pointedly political, sad … It takes place in a brothel in Dublin which is owned by a former IRA commander. The Hostage was an enormous theatrical success in London, Paris, and New York. That little bio of Behan is quite a time-traveler, from an earlier decade when people weren’t so hesitant to call a spade a spade. They’re “insurgents”, they’re “rebels”, they’re “militants”, etc. So often now, regardless of whether the person is actually a terrorist or not, the word is surrounded by little quotation marks. As an IRA terrorist he has spent eight years of his life in various jails …” The use of the word ‘terrorist’ really stood out for me. Interestingly enough, my copy of the book, given to me by my father, was an early edition, 1959, and in the biographical sketch on the back it says: “Brendan Behan, the son of a house painter, left school at thirteen, and three years later served his first prison term for political reasons. Some of these plays I haven’t looked through in YEARS, so picking out excerpts will be really fun.įirst play on the shelf is The Hostage, by Brendan Behan. The shelf below the political one starts up with all my scripts. We had the science, we had the religion (side by side, as I think that’s appropriate), some kids books, books on politics … blah blah blah. This particular bookcase is a mish-mash of mingled topics. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |