The Weir

The Weir

by Conor McPherson

BBC Radio 3

An attractive young woman comes into a Dublin pub, and the local barflies try to impress her with ghostly tales. It turns out that the woman has the spookiest story of all. Playwright Conor McPherson (Shining City, The Seafarer) wrote The Weir when he was 26 years old, capturing the Olivier Award for Best New Play and the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright.

Set in a small bar in rural Ireland, four men vie for the attention of Valerie, a pretty young woman from Dublin who has just rented an old house in the area. After a few drinks, they tell stories of spooky local folklore. But Valerie’s tale, of why she left Dublin, is melancholy and true –  and far more shocking than anything made up...

One of the most praised and successful plays of the last 15 years, The Weir uncovers moving themes of loss, abandonment, loneliness and regret for the road not taken.