An Giall [is] the restrained and almost forgotten tragi-comedy in Irish by Behan on which The Hostage is based….
An Giall (The Hostage) had its première in … Dublin. At the end of a successful run, [Joan] Littlewood offered to stage the play in London if Behan would translate it into English. Behan accepted the offer and The Hostage was presented to the English-speaking world…. However, a comparison of the Irish and English texts reveals that The Hostage is not a translation; it is a drastically modified version of the original play.
This is a free excerpt of 91 words. There are 1,000 words (approx.
3 pages at 300 words per page) in the full critical essay.
Read the rest of this Criticism with our Behan, Brendan 1923–1964: Critical Essay by Richard Wall Access Pass.
