I have seen some wonderful productions this year, each one seeming to top the previous one. And so I arrived at The Weir with high expectations and as the lights rose dimly on the Irish country pub set, I knew I was not going to be disappointed.
From the moment Jack – played with such depth and openness by Sean Murray – arrived in the bar, the audience were treated to a theatrical masterclass as the five excellent actors wrung every drop from McPherson’s naturalistic text.
The action, if you can call it that, develops during a stormy night in a locals bar in an outpost of Carrick. As each character arrives, they reference the weather, bickering over the direction of the wind as the lighting design subtly injects shadows over the scene. After helping himself to a Guinness, Jack is joined by Brendan (Sam O’Mahony), a younger man, who owns a fair a bit land and the bar itself. Then in comes Jim (John O’Dowd), a middle-aged handyman who living with his sick ‘mammy’. He like the others has never married and the bar is his refuge. Gradually we are introduced to Finbar – a supposed man-about-town who has left the village to make a name for himself - and then to Valerie, a single woman new to the area which gives the trio much to discuss.
And as the beer and whiskey flow tales of folklore, fairies and ghosts pour forth. But this play is so much more than spooky tales told on a stormy night. Through the group’s casual jibes, bickering and in-jokes, we see that this is a play about community, shared experience and how the past binds us no matter how far behind we seek to leave it. There is an overwhelming sense of loneliness surrounding each of the characters – from Jack’s ‘road not travelled’ to Valerie’s rejection by her husband following a family tragedy.
But as with real life, even the darkest moments can suddenly be illuminated by laughter and warmth and the cast are equally effective when revelling in each other’s foibles.
The actors are all well cast – and while Sean Murray holds much of the floor as the cantankerous Jack, my eyes were constantly drawn to John O’Dowd’s Jim – the quiet man of the group, who played the role with palpable humility.
This is the 20th anniversary production of The Weir and is a collaboration between The Mercury Theatre Colchester and English Touring Theatre. Catch it if you can.
The Weir is at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre until Nov 25
