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. [1]

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Plot summary

The play opens in a rural Irish pub with Brendan, the publican and Jack, a car mechanic. These two begin to discuss their respective days and are soon joined by Jim. The three then discuss Valerie, a pretty young woman from Dublin who has just rented an old house in the area.

Finbar, a real estate agent, arrives with Valerie, and the play revolves around the four men who vie for her attention. After a few drinks, the group begin telling stories of Irish folklore. After each man has told a story, Valerie tells her story: the story of why she left Dublin. Valerie's story is melancholy and true, and the men become softer, kinder, and more real.

The play is typically Irish, sad and sweet, and is as much about lack of close relationships and missed connections as it is about anything else.

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.

Cast

• Palace Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic:
• Finbar, Václav Postránecký
• Jim, Jan Hartl
• Jack, Alois Švehlík
• Brendan, Alexej Pyško
• Valerie, Miluše Šplechtová

Critical response

Reviews of The Weir have been positive. It won the Lawrence Olivier BBC Award as the Best New Play of 1997–98. 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," ^[2] "gentle, soft-spoken, delicately crafted work," ^[3] and "this is my play of the decade...a modern masterpiece." ^[4]

Awards and nominations

• 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play

References

1. Kerrane, Kevin. ''The Structural Elegance of Conor McPherson's The Weir'' New Hibernia Review 10.4 (2006) 105-121
2. Brantley, Ben. ''Dark Yarns Casting Light.'' New York Times. 2 April 1999, p. b 1.
3. Curtis, Nick. Evening Standard. 19 October 1998.
4. Langton, Robert G. The Express. 19 October 1998