''Langrishe, Go Down'', the novel by

Aidan Higgins Aidan Higgins (3 March 1927 – 27 December 2015) was an Irish writer. He wrote short stories, travel pieces, radio dramas and novels. Among his published works are '' Langrishe, Go Down'' (1966), '' Balcony of Europe'' (1972) and the biographi ...

(1966), was adapted for the screen by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

, directed by David Jones, filmed for

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

in association with , and first broadcast in September 1978 as a 90-minute

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

's ''Play of the Week''. On 17 July,

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, ''Langrishe, Go Down'' was re-released as a theatrical

16mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, ...

feature film, after being shown in The Spaces Between the Words: A Tribute to Harold Pinter, by the

Film Society of Lincoln Center Film at Lincoln Center (FLC), previously known as the Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) until 2019,Aridi, Sara (April 28, 2019).. ''The New York Times''. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019. is a nonprofit organization based in New York Cit ...

, as part of the Harold Pinter Festival of the Lincoln Center Festival 2001, held at

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, from 21 to 31 July 2001.

Credits

*Screenplay:

, from the novel by

*Director: David Jones *Original score:

Carl Davis Carl Davis (October 28, 1936 – August 3, 2023) was an American-born British conductor and composer. He wrote music for more than 100 television programmes, notably the landmark ITV series '' The World at War'' (1973) and BBC's '' Pride and P ...

*Photography: Elmer Cossey *Designer:

Roger Murray-Leach Roger Murray-Leach (born 25 June 1943) is a British production designer who worked at the BBC on the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7'' in the 1970s, and later worked on major feature films. Career ''Doctor Who'' ...

*Sound Recordist: Graham Hare

Cast

*Imogen Langrishe:

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

*Otto Beck:

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, ...

*Helen Langrishe:

Annette Crosbie Annette Crosbie (born 12 February 1934) is a Scottish actress.Annette Crosbie fi ...

*Lily Langrishe: Susan Williamson *Maureen Layde:

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American singer of popular music who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard'', January 12, ...

*Barry Shannon:

Setting

The setting is a fading Irish mansion in the

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

countryside, in the late 1930s, and also includes some locations in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Plot synopsis

Three spinster sisters, Imogene (Dench), Helen (Crosbie), and Lily Langrishe (Williamson), lose their equanimity — and in the case of Imogene her virginity — when a mature German student (

) rents lodging from them while he works on his thesis.

Home media

The film was released on DVD in Australia by MRA Entertainment.

Notes

External links

* {{David Jones 1978 television films 1978 films 1978 drama films 1978 television plays BBC television dramas Films directed by David Jones Films scored by Carl Davis Films with screenplays by Harold Pinter