When the film version of Angela's Ashes was released in 1999, it was met with mixed reaction by fans of Frank McCourt's acclaimed autobiography. As the legendary film critic Roger Ebert put it at the time,
"Frank McCourt’s book Angela’s Ashes is, like so much of Irish verbal history, suffering recollected in hilarity….That whole sense of humor is mostly missing from Alan Parker’s film version of “Angela’s Ashes,” which reminded me of Mark Twain’s description of a woman trying to swear: “She knows the words, but not the music.”
Well, now there's Angela's Ashes The Musical, which hoping to reclaim some of what was lost in the film version.
The play's director, Pat Moylan, was Ryan Tubridy's guest on Wednesday. She said the play will bring together the best elements of McCourt's writing, including the complexity of characters.
"I don’t think the film got the wit, the humour, the fun of his language…It as a miserable story in the film but the book isn’t a miserable book."
The book has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and won numerous accolades including a Pulitzer prize. It was also on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year. "It just struck a chord at the time," said Pat.
You can listen to a version of a song from the new musical in the clip above and you can listen back to the full interview here.
Angela's Ashes: The Musical can be seen in Dublin, Limerick and Belfast throughout July and August.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures