Brian Phelan (born 2 December 1934) is an Irish actor, dramatist, and screenwriter. His film work includes ''

The Criminal A criminal is a person who commits a crime. Criminal or The Criminal may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Criminal'' (1916 film), an American film of 1916 * ''The Criminal'' (1926 film), a French silent film * ''The Criminal'' (196 ...

'' (1960), ''

The Kitchen The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary avant-garde performance and experimental art institution located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was founde ...

'' (1961) and ''

The Soldier's Tale ' (''The Soldier's Tale'') is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" () by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. Conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, the piece was base ...

'' (1964). While his screenwriting includes '' The Knockback'' (two parts, 1985), and '' The Treaty'' (1991).

Early life

Phelan was born in

Dublin, Ireland Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...

in 1934. He first apprenticed as a carpenter at the age of 15.Home
''Brian Phelan: An Irish Playwright & Screenwriter''. Retrieved 25 May 2020. When Phelan was eighteen, he and his family emigrated to Canada. While there, he was able to obtain his first professional job at the Crest Theatre in Toronto as an assistant stage carpenter.Guide to the Brian Phelan papers
Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware. Retrieved 25 May 2020.

Career

In 1956, Phelan returned to Dublin to pursue his acting career. He appeared in productions at the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...

, the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a Theater (structure), theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Ge ...

with the Edwards McLiammoir Company, and the

Pike Theatre The Pike Theatre was a theatre located in Herbert Lane, Dublin, Ireland.The building was the Mews for No 6 Herbert Place (now No 43 Herbert Lane and is now occupied as offices) History Established in 1953 by Alan Simpson and Carolyn Swift, the P ...

in the 1950s. Notable film appearances include ''

'' (1961), ''

HMS Defiant ''H.M.S. Defiant'' (released as ''Damn the Defiant!'' in the United States) is a British naval war CinemaScope and Technicolor film from 1962 starring Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde. It tells the story of a mutiny aboard the fictitious ship of ...

'' (1962) and the title role in ''

'' (1964). He also appeared in three

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blackliste ...

films, ''

'' (1960), ''

The Servant A servant is a person working within an employer's household. Servant or servants may refer to: Places * Servant, Puy-de-Dôme, France Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Servant'' (1963 film), a British drama * ''The Servant'' (1989 ...

'' (1963) and ''

Accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researcher ...

'' (1967). While he continued to work as a full-time actor in the 1960s, Phelan began his screenwriting career. His first television play was ''The Tormentors'' (1966), starring

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

and

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

, produced by ATV. Writing predominantly for television, Phelan’s other works include '' The Russian Soldier'' (BBC, 1986), '' The Emigrants'' (BBC, 1977), ''In the Secret State'' (BBC, 1985), ''The Ivory Trade'' (HBO), and ''No Tears'' (RTÉ One, 2002).Brian Phelan
''PlayographyIreland.'' Retrieved 25 May 2020. Phelan has written for films as well, including '' Little Mother'' (also known as Woman of the Year, 1973), ''

Honeybaby, Honeybaby ''Honey baby, Honey baby'' is a 1974 American action film directed by Michael Schultz. The film focuses on the adventures of Laura Lewis, a young woman from Harlem known as "Honey Baby" (Diana Sands), who wins a game show trip to Beirut, Lebanon. ...

'' (1974), and '' Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy'' (1989). His stage plays include ''The Signalman's Apprentice'' (1971), which has been produced worldwide, ''Article Five, Paddy, News, and Soft Shoe Shuffle''. In 1961, Phelan co-presented with

Robin Fox Robin Fox (born 1934) is an Anglo-American anthropologist who has written on the topics of incest avoidance, marriage systems, human and primate kinship systems, evolutionary anthropology, sociology and the history of ideas in the social scien ...

the first production of Tom Murphy’s

A Whistle in the Dark ''A Whistle in the Dark'' is a play by Tom Murphy that premiered on September 11, 1961 at the Joan Littlewood's Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London, having been rejected by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. It then went on to be a West End hit. Murp ...

at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...

and the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

. Phelan has received awards including the

CableACE Award The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Amer ...

for the Writer of a Dramatic Special for ''Knockback'' in 1987, and the Sapporo Prize at the

Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...

for ''The Russian Soldier''.“HBO Predominates in Cable Competition, Winning 34 Awards”, ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', January 21, 1987, p. 35. '' Murphy’s Stroke'', a film written by Phelan, won a Jacob’s Award in 1980.''The Irish Times'', "Kee wins award for TV history of Ireland", 11 April 1981 He was also awarded the London Irish Post Award for his work on '' The Treaty'' (1992), and a

Golden Nymph Award The Golden Nymph Award(s) are the prizes awarded to the winners of the Official Competition of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. History Prince Rainier III of Monaco created the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo in 1961 to "encourage ...

for Best Mini Series for ''No Tears'' (2002) at the 42nd

Monte Carlo Television Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introdu ...

. His papers have been acquired by Special Collections at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

References

External links

Brian Phelan papers
Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phelan, Brian 1934 births Living people