Based on Behan's own experience of 14 years internment in Mountjoy for his Republican activity, The Quare Fellow is set in an Irish prison and is a subtle condemnation of capital punishment. Described by Behan himself as "a comedy-drama", it has a large ensemble of brightly drawn, colourful characters with vivid dialogue. Its construction is highly original in that the audience never see or hear the condemned man who, in a sense, is the central figure. The Quare Fellow was premiered in Dublin in 1954 and first presented in Britain by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East in 1954. The subsequent six-month West End run of a play with such a sharp political impact at a time when judicial hanging was still practised by the British and Irish governments, was unprecedented. 50th Anniversary production The Quare Fellow website.| 25 May 05 to 2 Jul 05 | The Kiln (formerly Tricycle Theatre) Inner London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 13 Apr 04 to 8 May 04 | The Kiln (formerly Tricycle Theatre) Inner London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 6 Apr 04 to 10 Apr 04 | Theatre Royal York, North Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 30 Mar 04 to 3 Apr 04 | Oxford Playhouse Oxford, Oxfordshire Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 23 Mar 04 to 27 Mar 04 | Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 2 Mar 04 to 6 Mar 04 | Citizens Theatre Glasgow Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 24 Feb 04 to 28 Feb 04 | Coliseum Theatre Oldham, Greater Manchester Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 12 Feb 04 to 21 Feb 04 | Liverpool Playhouse Liverpool, Merseyside Performance Details => Venue archive |
