Hugh Leonard (1926–2009)
Author of Da
About the Author
Playwright and journalist Hugh Leonard was born John Keyes Byrne on November 9, 1926. While working in the civil service during the 1950s, he started using the pseudonym Hugh Leonard because he feared his employers would frown on his writing. He wrote numerous plays during his lifetime including show more Stephen D., The Poker Session, The Patrick Pearse Motel, and Da, which was on Broadway for almost two years. Leonard earned a Tony Award in 1977 for Da. He wrote two autobiographies, Home Before Night (1979) and Out after Dark (1989); adapted numerous classic novels for British television, including Nicholas Nickleby and Wuthering Heights, and wrote The Curmudgeon column for the Sunday Independent. He died after a long illness on February 12, 2009 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: wikimedia.org/dkeyesbyme
Works by Hugh Leonard
The Hound of the Baskervilles [1968 TV episode] (1968) — Screenwriter; Dramatised by — 8 copies, 1 review
Wuthering Heights [1978 TV mini series] — Screenwriter — 7 copies
Leonard's last book 3 copies
Strumpet City [DVD] [1980] — Screenwriter — 3 copies
A peculiar People and Other Foibles 2 copies
Rare DA A Play by Hugh Leonard / 1978 - New York: Atheneum, 1978 [Hardcover] Leonard, Hugh (1978) 2 copies
Moving by Hugh Leonard 1 copy
Summer by Hugh Leonard 1 copy
Stephen D.. 1 copy
Chamber Music 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Byrne, John Keyes (born)
- Other names
- Leonard, Hugh
Curmudgeon
Byrne, John Joseph - Birthdate
- 1926-11-09
- Date of death
- 2009-02-12
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Presentation College, Glasthule
- Occupations
- playwright
screenwriter
civil servant
columnist - Nationality
- Ireland
- Birthplace
- Dublin, Ireland
- Places of residence
- Dublin, Ireland (birth)
Dalkey, Ireland (death)
Manchester, England, UK - Associated Place (for map)
- Ireland
Members
Reviews
Representing Ireland in my slow-moving project to read a book from every country in the world is dramatist Hugh Leonard. I’d previously read the depressing and close-to-home Da. This play is very different part satire of Irish memory, part satire of nouveaux riche in Ireland, but mostly farce. Almost on the Three’s Company level of people walking in on one another and assuming the worst. Still very funny though, and it hits its point, although the play seems a bit dated.
This is the book behind the movie and play, "Da."
A wonderful book about life in the Irish countryside. You will fall in love with the finely fleshed characters of Hugh Leonard's well-crafted book.
A wonderful book about life in the Irish countryside. You will fall in love with the finely fleshed characters of Hugh Leonard's well-crafted book.
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 42
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 468
- Popularity
- #52,558
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 6
- ISBNs
- 60
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 1