For some inexplicable reason, this work was named best play at this year's Olivier Awards in London, and its 28-year-old Dublin-born author took the Evening Standard honor as Most Promising Playwright. The script is one more in a well-nigh endless parade of Irish pub dramas, and a far from captivating one at that. On a windy night in a rural Sligo town, garage-owner Jack (Tom Hickey) and his younger assistant Jim (Tony Rohr) turn up to hoist a few in a bar run by Brendan (Sean Gleeson). They are joined by local landlord Finbar (Stanley Townsend), who is escorting his newly arrived tenant Valerie around the area. There is no denying McPherson's keen ear for naturalistic dialogue, but one wearies of endless chatter about who will have what kind of drink and who will pay for it. To impress Valerie, three of the men recount spooky stories -- all of which are tame -- after which Valerie has no trouble topping them with a tale of her own.
A weir, by the way -- mentioned once by Finbar -- is a barrier placed in a river to regulate the water flow. I suppose we are intended to view the pub as a metaphorical weir of some sort. Given the unimpressive text, director Ian Rickson has done a superb job in guiding his cast. There is extraordinary bonhomie among the quintet; and all the players give remarkable performances, with top honors going to Townsend's Finbar. Too bad this cast is not serving a worthier vehicle.
