The Weir, Wyndham’s Theatre: five-star review for this magnificent West End transfer

Last year’s Donmar Warehouse sell-out hit revival of Conor McPherson’s modern classic impresses in the West End
Ghost stories: Peter McDonald as Brendan, Brian Cox as Jack, Ardal O'Hanlon as Jim, Risteard Cooper as Finbar and Dervla Kirwan as Valerie ©Alastair Muir
Fiona Mountford16 May 2014

There’s a moment, a rare one but exceedingly precious for it, that for me makes theatregoing the most affirmative and vital of cultural activities. It’s the intense, switched-on sound of an audience’s rapt silence, of collective breath being held and ears seizing eagerly on every word the actors speak. Such a moment happens here, in this magnificent West End transfer of last year’s Donmar Warehouse sell-out hit revival of Conor McPherson’s modern classic, set in an isolated pub in rural Ireland.

Not much actually happens in The Weir (1997). Five people meet in said pub; they get to telling ghost stories; there’s one impactful revelation; they leave. Yet such apparent simplicity is deceptive, as the piece is rich with melancholy and regret, with lonely lives and chances missed, but also with the glimmer of hope that companionship, as well as a warming whisky on a cold night, brings.

With such delicate material to spin out, the director’s touch is even more crucial and Josie Rourke offers up a distinguished production. There’s a wonderful ease to the way the actors mill around Tom Scutt’s all-too-convincingly replicated bar; the movements don’t appear forced, which they so easily could when there are few people and much space to fill. A wealth of incidental detail provides much pleasure, such as the meticulously poured half-pint of wine that is offered to Dublin ‘blow-in’ Valerie (Dervla Kirwan). These lugubrious, undynamic, blackly humorous men (including a stand-out performance from Brian Cox as the oldest and most empathetic) are unused to female company.

The mood gets progressively darker as the earthy naturalism of McPherson’s writing blossoms. These men might be pragmatic but they’re not averse to old folktales about the area they live in, a place that harks back to an ancient, mythic Ireland. Unmissable.

Until April 19 (0844 482 5120, theweirlondon.co.uk)

Read More

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in