Roddy Doyle

The Booker prize-winning author of The Commitments, Roddy Doyle, is to team up with former Manchester United captain Roy Keane for a motivational memoir which "re-evaluates the meaning of success."

Roy Keane's 2002 autobiography is one of the most controverisal sports books of all time.

The memoir, titled The Second Half, will become "a benchmark for sports autobiography," according to its publisher Orion. 

Continue reading: Roddy Doyle And Roy Keane To Pen Motivational Book, "The Second Half"

The Commitments has premiered in London's West End, bringing a whirlwind of musical joy and vibrant staging to the nation's capital. Based on the 1987 novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle, the story follows a group of unemployed youths who form a soul band, named The Commitments.

Our photo of the day featuring @Thecommitments cast pic.twitter.com/pvW6V6BCLC

— WestEndOnline (@WestEndOnline) October 6, 2013

Continue reading: Roddy Doyle's 'The Commitments,' A Raucous West End Debut Success

The Commitments, the hugely successful and popular film by Sir Alan Parker based on the bestselling book the same name, is heading to the stage. The story of working-class Dubliners who form an unlikely soul band appears to be a perfect fit for the West End stage, and you'd be forgiven for assuming it's already a musical, so why has it taken some 25 years to get it there?

One huge reason is that writer Roddy Doyle thought he did not like musicals. "I'd never been to one," he said whilst announcing the show in London this week. The Booker prize-winning novelist said he'd had something of an epiphany when he began attending musicals once his children grew up. "I think the first was The Producers. It was quite a revelation because the film is terrific and I was wondering why would you want to do a musical? And actually it was great, it was very funny and sharp and you forgot about the film quite quickly," he told reporters at the announcement.

Continue reading: Want To Know Why It Took 'The Commitments' 25 Years To Get To The West End?

The Commitments, quite possibly one of the best British/Irish films in recent years, is being brought to the stage by it's creator Roddy Doyle a quarter of a century after it was first published in 1987. The story of protagonist Jimmy Rabbitte's efforts to create the greatest soul act Dublin has ever seen was made into a movie in 1991, with the idea of turning the story into a stage production long being an achievable possibility that is finally being realised.

The story, which won the Booker Prize when it was first published, follows a group of young, unemployed people living in the north side of the Irish capital who, under the influence and tutelage of their budding manager Rabbitte and a enigmatic old trumpetteer (Joey "The Lips" Fagan), decide to start a soul band. Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Doyle explained that the real reason why The Commitments was never made into a stage show was simply because he didn't like musicals. However, once he began to broaden his horizons and actually went to go see a musical, his opinion on the genre changed.

He said, "I think the first was The Producers. It was quite a revelation because the film is terrific and I was wondering why would you want to do a musical? And actually it was great, it was very funny and sharp and you forgot about the film quite quickly."

Continue reading: The Commitments To Be Brought To The Stage At Long Last!

Inspired by the Franki Valli musical Jersey Boys, Roddy Doyle is taking a version of his book the Commitments to the West End stage, Sky News reports today (April 23, 2013). The book tells the tale of a group of working class Dubliners who form a soul band. The movie version of the story became a hit in 1991 and will be opening in London’s West End in October.

The cast will be comprised of young Irish actors but fans of the movie should not expect to see any of the original cast reprising any roles, or indeed taking on new ones, largely due to their age. “We're all mortal," the author joked. "And I think most of them accept the fact that they're lacking in hair." The Commitments: The Saviours Of Soul will open at the Palace Theatre in October. Doyle explained how seeing Jersey Boys made him change his mind about musical theatre; a genre he was previously not fond of. “What I loved about it was the songs were terrific,” explained the 54 year-old, “but the songs didn't interrupt the story and the story didn't interrupt the songs. That, above all others, nudged me in the direction I wanted to go.”

The soundtrack for the movie is still a work in progress, are there have reportedly been some issues regarding gaining the rights for some songs, though Doyle said they were “experimenting with which songs are right for the story.” 

Continue reading: Roddy Doyle Taking 'The Commitments: The Saviours Of Soul' To London's West End