This Saturday 3rd February at 9pm, we bring our listeners another chance to hear Shay Linehan's hillarious PPI-Gold Award-winning radio drama: Goin' Straight.
Originally broadcast in 2016, Goin' Straight, is an edgy slice of Dublin - a sort of ‘Roddy Doyle meets Love/Hate’.
Starring Emmet Kirwan (Just Sayin') and Mary Murray (Love/Hate), Goin' Straight reflects some of the real-life experiences of people who have been released from prison in Ireland and have tried to find a normal life again.
Emmet Kirwan, of Just Sayin’ fame, plays Robbie Doyle, a career criminal with a heart of gold. He is trying to ‘go straight’, but Robbie has one fatal flaw. He cannot resist an opportunity to be helpful. This aligned to his lack of knowledge about his limitations, leads to many failures. He ultimately succeeds when he begins channelling his criminal skills into commercial enterprises with hilarious consequences.
Along the way we meet a host of Dublin characters – a buffoon aptly named ‘The Brain’, a flirty dole officer played by award-winning actress Mary Murray, and a cop who specialises in extracting confessions. There’s also a jaw-dropping scene where Joe Dolan unexpectedly saves the day.
Linehan interviewed people who were in prison to find out about their experiences.
‘What I found were very likeable characters who just found themselves on the wrong side of the tracks. Their stories are very often larger than life.’
Linehan emphasises the lack of support for people who are trying to ‘go straight’.
‘The system just doesn’t help people like Robbie, who is an amalgam of ex-cons I have known. Some of them were the smartest guys in the room. Their main crime, according to themselves, was getting caught.’
Emmet Kirwan leads this stellar cast of actors with impressive performances from Joe Taylor and Mary Murray, and a soundscape by sound producer John Davis that brings the Dublin criminal world to life with the energy and rawness of Lock Stock and Two Smokin’ Barrels.
BROADCAST DETAILS:
GOIN’ STRAIGHT will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm on Saturday 3rd February at 9pm.
LISTEN LIVE ONLINE: GOIN’ STRAIGHT can also be listened to online at: www.newstalk.com
PODCAST: Podcast available at: www.newstalk.com/dramaonnewstalk.
CREDITS: GOIN’ STRAIGHT, starring: Emmet Kirwan, Mary Murray and Joe Taylor, was written, directed and produced by Shay Linehan. Sound production by John Davis. The programme was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television Licence Fee.
