Coming to the Civic later this month is ‘Why Shouldn’t I Go?’ written and performed by Janet Behan, niece of the late great Brendan. This is Brendan’s Centenary year and his wonderful memoir Borstal Boy, along with his plays ‘The Hostage’ and ‘The Quare Fellow’ (a new production of which opens at The Abbey in November) are still read and performed, still an important part of Ireland’s literary heritage.
Janet’s play ‘Why Shouldn’t I Go?’ is a one-act play written and performed by Janet Behan and directed by Jessica Higgs. It tells the story of Three Irish women who were forced to leave their native land tell their very different stories. Each woman deals with her own trauma in her own way — with humour, with denial, with acceptance — but all three have one thing very much in common — religion and the devastating effect it has had on their lives.
We had a chat with Janet in advance of the show.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where did you grow up?
My first home was a pre-fab built on a South London bomb-site. It was tiny and damp but out the back there was this huge overgrown garden, part of the big house that had been bombed, and my sister and I used to sneak through the fence and play there for hours on end.
My first home was a pre-fab built on a South London bomb-site. It was tiny and damp but out the back there was this huge overgrown garden, part of the big house that had been bombed, and my sister and I used to sneak through the fence and play there for hours on end.
Tell us about your interest and background in the arts ?
I’ve wanted to be on the stage since I could walk and talk. Mum and Dad had a stormy relationship so I’d put on a funny voice to make them laugh, prance around the living room dressed in some old net curtains, anything to cause a distraction. And of course Brendan was at the height of his fame when I was little so that was a huge influence on me.I got a place at The Central School of Speech and Drama in 1972 and trained for three years. I started off in tours of musicals, seasons in various reps including the Lyric, Belfast where I met my husband, did the odd bit of telly here and there and got what I thought was my big break as Brenda, cousin to Pauline Fowler, in the infamous Ireland-based episodes of Eastenders. So appalled was the Bord Failte by the portrayal of Ireland in the series (sheep in the street, Guinness being consumed) that the whole Irish angle was scrapped and an Italian family was hastily brought in. I’ve worked at the Druid and the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, dabbled with performance art…never made a bean but it’s been enormous fun. I started to write plays because, as the main carer for our son Finn (who has autism with SLD) I was unable to work away from home. I’m currently writing my first novel, based on those years. Nearly finished!
I’ve wanted to be on the stage since I could walk and talk. Mum and Dad had a stormy relationship so I’d put on a funny voice to make them laugh, prance around the living room dressed in some old net curtains, anything to cause a distraction. And of course Brendan was at the height of his fame when I was little so that was a huge influence on me.I got a place at The Central School of Speech and Drama in 1972 and trained for three years. I started off in tours of musicals, seasons in various reps including the Lyric, Belfast where I met my husband, did the odd bit of telly here and there and got what I thought was my big break as Brenda, cousin to Pauline Fowler, in the infamous Ireland-based episodes of Eastenders. So appalled was the Bord Failte by the portrayal of Ireland in the series (sheep in the street, Guinness being consumed) that the whole Irish angle was scrapped and an Italian family was hastily brought in. I’ve worked at the Druid and the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, dabbled with performance art…never made a bean but it’s been enormous fun. I started to write plays because, as the main carer for our son Finn (who has autism with SLD) I was unable to work away from home. I’m currently writing my first novel, based on those years. Nearly finished!
Have you been involved in any productions in The Civic before?
I’d never been to the Civic — or Tallaght, come to that — until August this year. But The Civic is a great space with such a lovely warm atmosphere — I’m really looking forward to it.
I’d never been to the Civic — or Tallaght, come to that — until August this year. But The Civic is a great space with such a lovely warm atmosphere — I’m really looking forward to it.
What can Tallaght audiences expect from this show?
The show is three women, very different from each other, telling their stories. They’ve each suffered trauma directly or indirectly from their respective churches and each of them responds in their own way, with humour, with denial, with loving acceptance. So it’s funny, shocking, moving. Audiences generally find there’s plenty to talk about in the bar afterwards.
The show is three women, very different from each other, telling their stories. They’ve each suffered trauma directly or indirectly from their respective churches and each of them responds in their own way, with humour, with denial, with loving acceptance. So it’s funny, shocking, moving. Audiences generally find there’s plenty to talk about in the bar afterwards.
Tell us a random fact about yourself?
A random fact? I was a driver for NBC at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi so I’m fully trained for driving in snow and ice!
‘Why Shouldn’t I Go?’
Fri 17 Nov | 8pm
Fri 17 Nov | 8pm
