The Hostage

Synopsis

It’s 1958. News that a young IRA man has been sentenced to death by the British reaches the whores, sailors, pimps and revolutionaries who reside in a seedy, Dublin boarding house. In retaliation, the IRA captures a Cockney soldier and brings him to the house. Tension mounts until the execution hour arrives and, with an explosive finale, the hostage’s fate is decided. Behan combines sharp dialogue, black humour and live Irish music and dances to explore the play’s themes of prejudice and terrorism. This is a modern classic by one of Ireland’s most acclaimed and controversial playwrights.

Our Review:

9 February 2010

Brendan Behan’s The Hostage is set in Ireland during The Troubles on the eve of the execution of a young IRA member. The hostage of the play’s title is Leslie Williams, an 18-year-old English soldier who kidnapped by the IRA and hidden in a shabby but musical whore house.

The majority of the first act consists of ballads, farce, dancing and the odd political tirade. Although the meandering vaudeville begins to drag , the lilting, lyrical Irish burr is finally punctuated with plot by the glottal stops of the cockney hostage. Shortly after arriving, the apparently innocent, very alien soldier falls for Teresa, a fellow orphan, and discovers he will be executed if the “Belfast Martyr” is not reprieved.

Behan’s play exposes racism, terrorism, and youth’s betrayal by the old. But it is darkly humorous and traditional forms of Irish storytelling are used in Brechtian modes to interesting effect. The juxtaposition of the dark subje...

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Latest User Review

Steve Hurrell - 17 February 2010:

An otherwise enjoyable evening was spoiled by an overly loud piano and some fairly quiet singing and dialogue.Love the theatre-STEVE...

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