Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Irish Rep once again locates the vital human pulse of Conor McPherson’s masterpiece THE WEIR

• By drediman
• July 25, 2025
• No Comments

This summer, Off-Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre has brought back its rock solid production of Conor McPherson’s The Weir (the current run is the third time the Chelsea-based theater company has mounted the piece, once again beautifully directed by Ciarán O’Reilly with great understanding of the work). When the play premiered across the pond in 1997, it was met with great acclaim and was almost immediately touted as a modern classic. Set in a cozy pub located in the desolate countryside of rural Ireland, the piece tells the story of a group of locals who welcome a newcomer — a mysterious woman with a troubled past who has settled in the area after having lived in Dublin — into the fold of the community.

One of the key aspects of the play is how it takes place completely in real time — The Weir essentially unfolds in a single uninterrupted scene as the play’s motley denizens gradually trickle in and out of the atmospheric bar. Although storytelling is McPherson’s primary focus — during the particularly stormy night on which the work is set, the characters fall into the groove of regaling each other (perhaps to impress their guest, the sole woman in their midst?) with unsettling local ghost stories — the tales are strung together with pungent, organically constructed dialogue that masterfully develops character while maintaining the intoxicatingly taut tension between detailed naturalism and the spectral and immersive flourishes of the aforementioned stories.

McPherson’s play is so rich in psychological nuances that it not only makes repeat visits satisfying for audiences, it’s also quite the treat for actors to sink their teeth into. It’s no wonder why Irish Rep has repeatedly returned to The Weir. A number of the company’s usual suspects have returned to the roles they have played in the past, and their performances here are as lived in and achingly human as ever, still finding the vital pulse of this masterpiece. Often times, they don’t come across as acting at all, which is one of the highest compliments anyone can give. Collectively, they make for an utterly tight knit ensemble that seem to react instinctually to each other. By the time John Keating as Jim, Sarah Street as Valerie, and Dan Butler as Jack launch into their haunting recollections, you’ll likely to be completely bewitched by the spell that’s being cast.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE WEIR
Off-Broadway, Play
Irish Repertory Theatre
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through August 31