Frank McGuinness

Can Frank McGuinness's plays capture the spirit of the new, vibrant Ireland?

In an edition of Hardtalk Extra screened on Friday 30th June, Noel Thompson spoke to one of Ireland's foremost playwrights, Frank McGuinness.

Frank McGuinness has been a
major presence in Irish drama
for the last twenty years.

As well as writing his own plays, including early successes like The Factory Girls, he has adapted and translated to great acclaim an eclectic range of the classics from Chekhov to Euripides.

Born in Donegal in the 1950s, McGuinness came of age as Ireland's Troubles started.

He tells Noel Thompson how conflict in Ireland has influenced his writing, and about the special relationship between his country and the United States of America.

HARDtalk Extra can be seen on BBC World at 0330 GMT, 0830 GMT, 1530 GMT, 1830 GMT, 2330 GMT.

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 04:30 and 23:30.