Whores, sailors, pimps and revolutionaries at the forefront of a war of identity, Holly Williams thinks we can expect some fun from this dark comedy.
Last time Brendan Behan’s most notable play was on in London, terrorism and hostage taking would have had quite a different resonance. In the 16 years that have passed, the political landscape has changed, but worrying about how hostages are treated is certainly still a pressing, and uncomfortable, topic
The Hostage is set in Dublin in 1958. News that a young IRA man has been sentenced to death by the British reaches a motley crew of whores, sailors, pimps and revolutionaries residing in a seedy Dublin boarding house. The IRA retaliate by capturing a Cockney soldier, who they bring to the house.
Expect a tense show, as the hour for his execution approaches. There should be plenty to enjoy here though too, as Behan’s play combines cutting dialogue with dark humour. Live Irish music, song and dance also stop this from becoming too much of a grim, gritty-realism affair.
Jagged Fence are a company committed to exploring forgotten or rarely performed classics, and to tackling controversial subject matters. Behan’s play certainly fits the bill – it got plenty of attention when it was on at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1958, but had its last high-profile London performance by the RSC back in 1994.
While this company will have their own take on the text – they held improvisation workshops as a way into the piece – it also comes with the writer’s approval: Behan himself helped revise the script. The cast features Ben James-Ellis in his debut play performance as the cockney soldier. James-Ellis bagged a role in the hit musical Hairspray after coming to the world’s attention on the BBC’s Any Dream Will Do. His performance in Hairspray won him awards – let’s hope he can deliver in this rather different role.
The Hostage runs at Southwark Playhouse from 03.02.10 until 20.02.10
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