A daughter's tribute to writer Brendan Behan, who died when she was 6 months old... For Sunday Miscellany on RTÉ Radio 1, listen to Familiar Stranger by Blanaid Behan above.
The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, late 1970s, I was 14.
As the lights dimmed, actor Niall Tobin shuffled onto the stage. He paused, hands deep in his pockets and turned to look out over the audience. In the seat next to me, I heard my mother Beatrice's sharp intake of breath. When the show was over and we were backstage with a drink, she explained her reaction. "It’s just frightening, the way he has Brendan’s mannerisms so perfectly, it still shocks me every time he walks onto the stage. It’s like Brendan has come back to us"...
Listen to more from Sunday Miscellany here.
