Borstal Boy
A fresh adaptation of Brendan Behan’s acclaimed memoir of love and friendship in prison. Dramatised by Martin McNamara.
Brendan Behan is often remembered as the hard-drinking, wise-cracking and outspoken Irish writer who turned up roaring drunk for interviews and cared little for authority.
In this honest and tender memoir from 1958, Brendan Behan upends that public image. Without shying away from the harsh realities of life in prison, Behan tells the story of a stammering IRA rebel who, despite everything, finds true friends, and love, in an English borstal.
2023 marks 100 years since Brendan Behan’s birth. This is Martin McNamara’s fresh take on the acclaimed writer’s memoir.
CAST
Brendan Behan ….. Brendan Coyle
Young Brendan Behan ….. Jonny Holden
Charlie ….. Joseph Ayre
Rae Jeffs …. Leah Marks
Governor Joyce …. Ewan Bailey
Jock ….. Connor Curren
The Sergeant ….. Samuel James
The Priest ….. Gerard McDermott
Dramatist ….. Martin McNamara
Director ….. Anne Isger
Production Co-ordinator ….. Jonathan Powell
Sound ….. Anne Bunting, Jenni Burnett, Ali Craig, Cal Knightley
A Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Audio Production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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- Sun 16 Apr 2023 15:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.