THE WEIR

The Live Rooms, Chester

Reviewed on 10th August 2022

Writer: Conor McPherson

Director: Marian Newman

 

This really isn’t the most audience friendly play. All dialogue, a single set, little movement, and relying totally on the cast’s ability to hold the attention of the audience. Thankfully, Chester-based theatre company Against The Grain pulled it off.

The setting is the cosy bar of a small pub, in a rural southern Irish town that time forgot. In a smart move, the company decided to use the actual small bar at Chester’s Live Rooms, which automatically lent a realistic and atmospheric feel to the evening. There was little that could have been done about the heat, on such a hot summer’s night, and with a lesser quality production this could have seriously distracted the audience. However, our attention was held throughout, the ensemble cast were uniformly strong, and The Weir cast its spell superbly well.

Jim (Stuart Evans), Finbar (Dhugal Fulton), and Laura Smith (Valerie). Photo: Steve Cain.

The Weir is deceptive, initially suggesting that we are simply witnessing a collection of supernatural tales, told by a motley group of characters who each have quite a sad, unfulfilled life, and the theme being that the human understanding of the immediate ‘real’ world is no more comforting or complete than the ‘other worlds’ - the non-tangible, the ethereal. However, it is far cleverer and much more terrifying than that.

Director Marian Newman allows the humanity of the writing to shine through, and completely trusts her cast to deliver the magic. There is no reliance on lighting or mood music to create the ‘spooky’ atmosphere, and no shock tactics. Credit to Steve Lincoln’s subtle and controlled use of sound and lighting. When the chill wind begins to swirl around the pub, the sound is almost imperceptible, and at times I wondered whether it was actually coming from outside the venue. A fellow audience member stated, later, that they could actually feel the cooling effect of the wind at times (this is pretty remarkable, as the oppressive heat was constant in the room).

Jack (Mark Newman), Brendan (Simon Phillips), Jim (Stuart Evans), Valerie (Laura Smith), and Finbar (Dhugal Fulton). Photo: Steve Cain.

Amiable barman Brendan (a subtle, low-key performance from Simon Phillips) arrives to open up for the evening, and is obviously none too concerned with security, as he soon leaves the bar unattended, with the front door unlocked. In strolls the evening’s oldest regular, garage owner Jack (Mark Newman) who proceeds to casually serve himself a drink (popping the money into the old-fashioned till). The scene is set. This is a pub that is also a home, and a refuge, to the inhabitants of this remote rural backwater. Brendan and Jack chat amiably about everyday matters, and are soon joined by young gambler Jim (Stuart Evans); we soon discover that they are all quite lonely at heart, and this unassuming little alehouse is their refuge. There are rumours about the relationship between their well-to-do friend Finbar (Dhugal Fulton) and Valerie, a young woman who is looking to move into the area. When all our characters are assembled, Jack kicks off the storytelling with a local myth about a ‘faery road’ that was rumoured to pass through a local house. Newman’s comical, disgruntled, slightly naïve character modestly relates an unnerving warning about interfering with the unknown, and the actor subtly shifts from gentle comedy to undulating shades of deepening anxiety and deep-rooted fear. Probably the most disturbing tale is related by Jim; a chilling real-life experience involving the spectre of a paedophile and their attempts to continue their activities beyond the grave. Serious and unnerving as the various tales are, they are never allowed to seduce the audience into a melancholic, unsettled mood. McPherson’s characters are beautifully well-rounded, and the talented ensemble cast remind us of their humanity and flawed nature, as they regularly pull the rug out from under each other, and good-naturedly prick the bubbles of pomposity. Laura Smith’s Valerie is the alien newcomer. The men buzz around her, each seeking to impress, whilst cheekily undermining the flash, but thin-skinned Finbar. Quietly observing her comically eager suitors, and their almost desperate desire to cater to her every need, Valerie eventually delivers her own disturbing tale, of a tragic untimely death, and a terrifying aftermath. Her story hits hard. Smith has a wonderful voice for the stage, and held the audience spellbound with a heartfelt, quietly emotional delivery of intensity and gut-wrenching sorrow.

Brendan (Simon Phillips), Jim (Stuart Evans), Jack (Mark Newman), Finbar (Dhugal Fulton), and Valerie (Laura Smith). Photo: Steve Cain.

This was an excellent production, and deserves to be seen in a larger venue. A brave venture for an amateur company (although, you’d be hard-pressed to consider this show as anything less than 100% professional).