Brian Friel: Shyman and Showman is a new documentary that provides a look into the life of the late playwright Brian Friel. According to RTÉ, “the film sets out to show, through family, friends, actors, directors, as well as via his own handwritten and typed letters, personal archive, and readings from some of his plays, how Brian Friel re-defined Irish theatre in the second half of the 20th century.”

The documentary will feature some of the people who knew and loved him. His wife Anne, talks publicly about her husband for the first time, along with actors Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Sinéad and Niamh Cusack.

Brian Friel: Shyman and Showman, Thursday 6th January at 10.15pm on RTÉ1 – catch up after broadcast via RTÉ Player.