Pope Lonergan's book I'll Die After Bingo to be adapted for TV
- Comedian Pope Lonergan's 2022 memoir about working in a care home is to be adapted for television
- Alma's Not Normal and In My Skin producers Expectation are working on bringing I'll Die After Bingo to TV
- Lonergan says "The adaptation is going to be both light and dark; uncompromising, poetic and, yes, very funny"
I'll Die After Bingo, the book in which comedian Pope Lonergan talks about working in a care home for the elderly, is being adapted for television.
Publishers Penguin Random House have struck a deal with Expectation, the production company behind shows such as Alma's Not Normal and In My Skin, which will see the book adapted for television.
Published in June 2022, I'll Die After Bingo is described as a "tough yet hilarious, intelligent, and honest account" of the comic's account of what life inside a care home is really like, for both residents and carers.
The publishers say: "Whether he's initiating a coup d'état against new regulations with the residents, or forging a bond with the 98-year old who once called him a fat slut, Pope Lonergan's work is infinitely varied. This no-holds-barred account shows what life inside a care home is really like, for both residents and carers. Featuring night-time drama, incontinence pads and the uniquely dark humour of one double-amputee Alzheimer's patient, here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know (and a few things you probably really didn't) about Britain's care system. This important memoir challenges us all to think differently about the value of our elderly, and also the carers who look after them."
Talking about the news, Pope Lonergan says: "I'm buzzin' to be working with Expectation. In the creative industries (ergh) cultivating relationships is really important - and luckily Expectation is full of the nicest, most insightful and talented 'TV people' you'll ever find. I'm very grateful they've taken a punt on me (a recovering Crack 'ead Quaker) and my book (a book that includes a line about swallowing boobs). But seriously - I'm excited. The adaptation is going to be both light and dark; uncompromising, poetic and, yes, very funny."
Executive producer Morwenna Gordon adds: "I was completely won over by Pope's writing. Honest, insightful, empathetic and with laugh out loud moments too. I'm so pleased to be working together to adapt this incredible book for TV."
Hannah Weatherill from Penguin Random House comments: "Pope's memoir about his work as a carer is extraordinary - he captures the personalities of the residents, their families, and his colleagues in all their complexity with incredible empathy and humour. Expectation is a brilliant partner for Pope's story, and we can't wait to see it on screens."
Pope Lonergan - I'll Die After Bingo: The Unlikely Story Of My Decade As A Care Home Assistant
Resident: I feel I want to keep talking.
Me: Of course! What do you want to talk about?
Resident: My heart.
Me: What about your heart?
Resident: I feel I want to touch it.
Me: Your heart? You want to touch your heart?
Resident: Yes, but I'm too frightened.
Me: What are you frightened about?
Resident: Everything. People. Things.
Me: What's frightening you at this very moment?
Resident: (Closes eyes). That I'll never be touched again. That I won't be able to get to my heart.
Me: Metaphorically?
Resident: More carrots please.
Whether he's initiating a coup d'état against new regulations with the residents, or forging a bond with the 98-year old who once called him a fat slut, Pope Lonergan work is infinitely varied. This no-holds-barred account shows what life inside a care home is really like, for both residents and carers. Featuring night-time drama, incontinence pads and the uniquely dark humour of one double-amputee Alzheimer's patient, here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know (and a few things you probably really didn't) about Britain's care system.
This important memoir challenges us all to think differently about the value of our elderly, and also the carers who look after them.
First published: Thursday 16th June 2022
- Publisher: Ebury Press
- Pages: 320
- Catalogue: 9781529109337
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- Publisher: Ebury Press
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