In the play, Billy is often referred to as ‘Cripple Billy’. What does this tell you about the culture of the time when the play was set. How have things changed since then?
This play has been described as a ‘dark comedy’. What evidence can you find of this?
Top Tip
Dark comedy (also known as ‘black humour’) is a comic work that uses farce and morbid humour to mock serious subjects like death and religion. It is often controversial for that reason.
W5.12
Choose a play or film (a short film is fine) you have studied where the setting/physical location is important. Write a paragraph about the setting/physical location and why it is important, including:
l The title of the play/film l The name of the playwright/director l Details about the setting and why it is important in your chosen play/film.
WATCH
Watch the clip of an interview with Daniel Radcliffe where he discusses the role of Billy in The Cripple of Inishmaan.
Part 1: The Characters and Plot 1. What do we learn abut black humour?
2. What do we learn about the central character, Cripple Billy?
3. What is his ‘ticket’ off the island and why? Part 2: The Acting Challenge
1. What challenges does Daniel Radcliffe mention?
2. Detail one of these challenges fully.
3. What do we learn about how Daniel approached learning the local accent.
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CREATE
1. Imagine you were going to direct an actor in the stage version of your favourite text. Choose one character and one actor to play them, and make a list of the important considerations they would have to think about:
l Accent l Gestures l Costumes
2. Imagine an interview between your favourite presenter and the actor you selected to play the character. Write five questions and possible responses about the challenges they encountered.
