The Irish Itinerary Podcast
The Irish Itinerary Podcast is an audio podcast brought to you by EFACIS, the European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies. As an innovative addition to our longstanding Irish Itinerary circuit which organises live events all across Europe, this series will bring together some of the best contemporary Irish authors and artists in conversation with leading Irish Studies scholars from across Europe. This exciting new project is designed in the spirit of open access and inclusivity, and made possible by the generous support of Culture Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Irish College, Leuven.
The Irish Itinerary Podcast
43. Alan Gilsenan in conversation with Nathalie Lamprecht (25 May 2023)
In his conversation with Nathalie Lamprecht, Alan Gilsenan discusses his documentary film The Laughing Boy (2022), which tries to uncover how the song The Laughing Boy, written by a young Brendan Behan and later used in his play The Hostage, travelled via Paris to Greece and there became an anthem of defiance for the Greek left. Gilsenan discusses the circumstances that facilitated this process; the importance of translation and the way the documentary draws attention to it; the image of Behan as a kind of James Dean that obscures his talent as a writer; and Brendan Behan’s collaboration with theatre director Joan Littlewood.