Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Fri 7-Sat 22 Oct
The days are drawing in, and there’s a chill in the air. The fields have been harvested and leaves are falling from the trees. This is the time for gathering round and telling stories. Ghost stories. And there’s no better time to see The Weir by Conor McPherson.
The Irish are master storytellers, particularly about the supernatural, folklore and fairies, and as W. B. Yeats remarked, “any day prefer a ghost story or a fairy tale to The Times newspaper”.
You’ll witness five people who come together in a remote pub in Ireland. Four are men who know each other, the fifth a woman visiting from Dublin. They will drink and regale each other with stories of some who are still on this earth and some who aren’t. As the dark, rainy night goes on, their tales get more personal, one by one.
McPherson has been hailed as the finest dramatist of his generation, and The Weir has been acknowledged as a masterpiece, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play of 1997–98. The work was voted one of the 100 most significant plays of the 20th century in a poll conducted by the Royal National Theatre. Award-winning artistic director Rachel O’Riordan has been called one of the finest and most visionary directors in the country. A fine pedigree indeed for a shockingly revealing play.
Tickets: £6-£25. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk words RHONDA LEE REALI