Adapting the Journalism of Myles for the Stage

In this article, actor Val O’Donnell discusses the opportunities and challenges of adapting Myles na gCopaleen’s column writing for stage performance in 4 parts.


I: Introduction
hadn't enough money to buy it.' One fan couldn't contain himself and raided the tea and biscuits money to purchase a copy, before Eason's bookstore closed that evening.
They were completely unaware that the work of Flann O'Brien, the novelist, had been eclipsed by Myles na Gopaleen, their daily journalist jester, in the years since 1939.
I do not know how many of them pursued the transition into literary fiction, but I noticed that references to Flann O'Brien and At Swim-Two-Birds declined over the coming weeks, while their daily devotion to Myles na Gopaleen continued, unabated.
I have to confess I did not finish my first attempt at reading Flann O'Brien's postmodern masterpiece. That took me two further attempts. But one lesson I learned from this early episode, maybe subliminally, was that Myles was accessible, witty, and entertaining, but Flann could be hard work.
Reel on through decades of acting with amateur and semi-professional theatre companies in Dublin, and more serious involvement with the professional theatre after I left the day job, and I had discovered a flair for adapting literature for the stage. Another important point is that a licenced approach to the journalism of Myles is often necessary in bringing its language to the stage. Long or complex sentences may look alright on the page, but they are usually inimical to theatrical effect -particularly in the case of comedy where the performer must be able to hit the right word or cadence when aiming for a laugh. Compared with the more crafted language of the novels, there is a need to edit the journalism -which, let us remember, was produced in conveyor-belt fashion for daily consumption. Sometimes radical editing is needed.
The essence of a joke or a punch line can be preserved but may need to be encased in the adaptor's own 'Myles-compatible' language for effect.
Turning to the question of genre, a modern development in the theatre has been the emergence of the one-man/woman show, the monologue, and the monodrama as normal theatrical presentations -indeed, some would argue that the traditional play based on the unities of time, space, and action is now in decline and is mainly encountered today in revivals of classic plays. In 1974, Morrissey's one-man show The Brother was an unusual theatrical experience, and some reviewers questioned its structural integrity. The Irish Times reviewer David Nowlan, writing on 19 February 1974, acknowledged the play's 'virtually unmitigated hilarity,' yet still thought that, 'It would almost certainly benefit from having a director who might give it coherence when occasionally it threatens to fall apart.' 7 Another critic wondered was it 'Actor's Equity or Actor's Ego that is responsible for the increasing number of solo shows being presented in these times.' An examination of the script of The Brother shows that Morrissey ranged widely in creating a varied pastiche of colourful extracts -sometimes entire short works -drawn from the novels, short stories, plays, journalism, and contributions to literary magazines, of both Flann O'Brien and Myles na Gopaleen.
The whole work is anchored by about fifteen pieces from the 'Brother' dialogues, but they represent less than half of the material included. It works as a piece of theatre due to the skill of the adapter, the easy ambiance of the snug of a public house, the charisma of the performer, and an astute use of lighting and sound. And it confirms the entertainment value of selecting disparate elements from the writings of Flann and Myles, when treated with theatrical skill and technical knowhow. Add to this, the prevalence of the solo-performer and the monodrama where the same actor assumes multiple roles, and one can say that theatrical fashion was never more favourable for adaptations from the journalism of Myles than is the case today.

Some Conclusions & Pointers
So, what have I learned from my three adaptations that I could pass on to others interested in adapting the writing of Flann or Myles for the stage? Well, I can say that: 1. There exists a large body of his writing that has not yet found its way into stage adaptations.
2. It includes relatively unknown characters, stories and themes that would entertain audiences. For example: • The oracular gifts of Brother Barnabas The last point -audience expectations -prompts a warning. My experience over 10 years in putting O'Nolan's writing on stage forces me to conclude that not everyone likes Flann or Myles. Many do. Many still find his quirky humour hilarious. But others simply do not 'get' him, either initially or not at all. Sadly, I think that some are actually irritated by his writing. Fortunately, there is much more to the writing of O'Nolan than a quirky way of looking at things. His magnificent comic imagination, delight in language, black humour, and skills in storytelling will still provoke laughter -often at an uproarious level. I warmly recommend his journalism for the close attention of theatre producers, companies and adapters. I say, let us have more of it on the stage.