Review: The Weir at the Wyndham's Theatre

The Weir 

Wyndham's Theatre

Reviewed on Wednesday 22nd January 2014

The reputation of Conor McPherson’s 1997 play The Weir precedes it, having had successful runs in London and on Broadway and earning the author an Olivier for best play in 1999. Now last year’s sell-out Donmar Warehouse production, directed by Josie Rourke, gets a West End transfer and proves the 17-year-old work is still in fine fettle indeed.

Four old friends meet in a rural Irish bar and engage in the kind of banter that only comes from long-standing relationships. Into this mix, however, comes a fifth person in the shape of a thirty-something woman from Dublin who has bought a house in the area. The mood changes and while her demeanour is perfectly benign, it causes a shift in the men’s attitude (she orders white wine for a start) and they become more competitive — blokes never really grow out of trying to impress girls in pubs, it seems.

Not much happens during the first half of The Weir. The cast give five perfectly pitched performances, although it’s Brian Cox as the world-weary Jack who really holds the attention. The wonderfully crafted dialogue crackles and sparks from these realistically drawn characters, and it’s hard to believe that McPherson apparently wrote this play in just ten days.

The mood takes a darker and more sombre tone when the men begin to exchange tales of the supernatural that elicits a story from the female guest that shocks the men and the audience. Dervla Kirwan is riveting here and it wasn’t until her story was finished I realised that I’d actually forgotten to breathe.

Everything comes together in The Weir; brilliant writing, unfussy direction and superb acting, and it’s hard to believe that however many times this modern classic is revived that it will be done better than it is here.

Reviewed by Tony Peters

tony@westendframe.com

The Weir runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until 19th April 2014.

Click here to book tickets.

Photo Credit: Helen Warner

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