The Weir

Infobox Play
name = The Weir


image_size = 150px
caption = Promotional poster for the Irish Theatre Group
writer = Conor McPherson
characters =
genre = Drama
setting = a bar in rural Ireland,
premiere = 1997
place = Royal Court Theatre Upstairs
London
orig_lang = English
subject = a barkeep and three patrons attempt to spook a newcomer from Dublin but end up themselves frightened
web =
ibdb_id =
iobdb_id = 9223

"The Weir" is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It first appeared on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1998. It has since been performed in Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.Kerrane, Kevin. "The Structural Elegance of Conor McPherson's The Weir" New Hibernia Review 10.4 (2006) 105-121]

Plot summary

The play is set in a small rural pub in a fictional town called Carrick, which is said to be in the west of Ireland, near Northwest Leitrim, or Sligo.McPherson, Conor. "The Weir". Dramatists Play Service: New York, 1998.] As four friends enter on a winter's night for a drink and a chat, they are joined by a young woman from Dublin who has just bought an old house in the village. After some craic, they begin telling stories with a supernatural element, each of which becomes increasingly disturbing. The end result of these stories is the revealing of intimate and personal details of each character's lives, something none of them expected to happen.

Characters

*Jack, a mechanic and garage owner in his fifties.
*Brendan, the owner of the pub in which the play is set. He is in his thirties.
*Jim, Jack's assistant, in his forties.
*Finbar, a local businessman in his late forties.
*Valerie, a Dublin woman in her thirties.

Critical response

Reviews of "The Weir" have been positive. It won the Lawrence Olivier BBC Award as the Best New Play of 1997–98. Kerrane, Kevin. "The Structural Elegance of Conor McPherson's The Weir." New Hibernia Review 10.4 (2006) 105-121] In addition, McPherson won the Critics' Circle Award as the most promising playwright in 1998 as a direct result of the success of "The Weir". The play has received lofty praise, such as "beautifully devious," [Brantley, Ben. "Dark Yarns Casting Light." New York Times. 2 April 1999, p. b 1.] "gentle, soft-spoken, delicately crafted work," [Curtis, Nick. Evening Standard. 19 October 1998.] and "this is my play of the decade...a modern masterpiece." [Langton, Robert G. The Express. 19 October 1998]

Awards and nominations

* 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play

References

Further reading

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External links

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