Puckoon

Puckoon

First edition
Author Spike Milligan
Illustrator Spike Milligan
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Subject Comic novel
Genre Comedy
Publisher Anthony Blond
Publication date
 1963

Puckoon is a comic novel by Spike Milligan, first published in 1963. It is his first full-length novel, and only major fictional work. Set in 1924, it details the troubles brought to the fictional Irish village of Puckoon by the Partition of Ireland: the new border, due to the incompetence of the Boundary Commission, passes directly through the village, with most of the village placed in the independent Irish Free State, but with a significant portion to Northern Ireland.

The protagonist of the novel is the feckless Dan Milligan, a man so lazy that the author is obliged to take direct action to prevent him spending the entire novel lounging about at home; thus alerted to his status as a fictional character, Dan frequently breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the writer about the trouble he has been made to endure.

Adaptations

Audio

An abridged audiobook version, read by the author, was released on LP and cassette.

Film

A film adaptation, written and directed by Terence Ryan, was released in 2002.

It starred Sean Hughes as the renamed "Dan Madigan" and Richard Attenborough as the narrator (after Spike Milligan's poor health prevented him from taking the part),[1] along with several other very well-known and highly respected British, Irish and American character actors including Elliott Gould, Griff Rhys Jones, Milo O'Shea, David Kelly, Marc Sinden, Daragh O'Malley, Nickolas Grace and Freddie Jones.[2] Jane Milligan (Spike's daughter) appeared in the small role of Mrs. Madigan. The film was cast by Jo Gilbert and shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[3]

Theatre

Puckoon was adapted for the stage by Paul Boyd, Zoe Seaton, and Vincent Higgins for Big Telly Theatre Company. The critically acclaimed show toured Ireland from January–March 2009, again from January–March 2011 including a run in London's West End at Leicester Square Theatre, and most recently from April - June 2016 on tour across Ireland and the UK.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Flynn, Bob (23 July 2002). "'It's fantastical, magical stuff'". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ http://www.guerilla-films.com/puckoon/cast_photos.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276428/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
  4. ↑ http://www.spikemilliganspuckoon.com
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