McPherson - The Weir

Conor McPherson

THE WEIR

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

The Weir was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, on 4 July 1997. The cast was as follows:

The production transferred to the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs at the Duke of Yorks Theatre, London, on 18 February 1998, where it played for two years with successive cast changes.

The Weir was revived at the Donmar Warehouse, London, on 25 April 2013 (previews from 18 April), with the following cast:

Characters

JACK, fifties

BRENDAN, thirties

JIM, forties

FINBAR, late forties

VALERIE, thirties

The play is set in a rural part of Ireland, North West Leitrim or Sligo. Present day. Stage setting: a small rural bar.

A counter, left, with three bar taps. The spirits are not mounted, simply left on the shelf. There are three stools at the counter.

There is a fireplace, right. There is a stove built into it. Near this is a low table with some small stools and a bigger, more comfortable chair, nearest the fire. There is another small table, front, with a stool or two.

On the wall, back, are some old black and white photographs: a ruined abbey; people posing near a newly erected ESB weir; a town in a cove with mountains around it.

An old television is mounted up in a corner. There is a small radio on a shelf behind the bar.

A door, right, is the main entrance to the bar. A door, back, leads to the toilets and a yard.

This bar is part of a house and the house is part of a farm.

The door, right, opens. JACK comes in. He wears a suit which looks a bit big for him, and a white shirt open at the collar. Over this is a dirty anorak. He takes the anorak off and hangs it up. He wipes his boots aggressively on a mat.

He goes behind the counter. He selects a glass and goes to pour himself a pint of stout. Nothing comes out of the tap. He vainly tries it again and looks underneath the counter. He turns and takes a bottle from the shelf, awkwardly prising off the top. He pours it and leaves it on the bar to settle. He turns to the till which he opens with practised, if uncertain, ease. He takes a list of prices from beside the till and holds a pair of spectacles up to his face while he examines it. He puts money in the till and takes his change.

As he finishes this, the door at back opens. BRENDAN comes in. He wears a sweater, heavy cord pants and a pair of slip-on shoes. He carries a bucket with peat briquettes. He goes to the fireplace, barely acknowledging JACK, just his voice.

BRENDAN. Jack.

JACK. Brendan. (Lifting glass.) Whats with the Guinness?

BRENDAN (putting peat in the stove). I dont know. Its the power in the tap. Its a new barrel and everything.

JACK. Is the Harp one okay?

BRENDAN. Yeah.

JACK. Well, would you not switch them around and let a man have a pint of stout, no?

BRENDAN. What about the Harp drinkers?

JACK (derision). The Harp drinkers.

BRENDAN. Your mans coming in to do it in the morning. Have a bottle.

JACK. Im having a bottle. (Pause.) Im not happy about it, now mind, right? But, like.

They laugh.

BRENDAN. Go on out of that.

JACK (drinks). What the hell. Good for the worms.

BRENDAN. Id say you have a right couple of worms, alright.

They laugh. Pause. BRENDAN stands wiping his hands.

Thats some wind, isnt it?

JACK. It is.

BRENDAN. Must have been against you, was it?

JACK comes out from behind the counter.

JACK. It was. It was against me til I came around the Knock. It was a bit of shelter then.

BRENDAN goes in behind the counter. He tidies up, dries glasses.

BRENDAN. Yeah its a funny one. Its coming from the north.

JACK. Mm. Ah, its mild enough though.

BRENDAN. Ah yeah. Its balmy enough. (Pause.) Its balmy enough.

JACK. Were you in Carrick today?

BRENDAN. I wasnt, no. I had the sisters over doing their rounds. Checking up on me.

JACK. Checking their investments.

BRENDAN. Oh yeah. Course, they dont have a fucking clue what theyre looking for, dyou know? Theyre just vaguely... you know.

JACK. Keeping the pressure on you.

BRENDAN. This is it. (Pause.) At me to sell the top field.

JACK. You dont use it much.

BRENDAN. No. No I dont. Too much trouble driving a herd up. But I know theyre looking at it, all they see is new cars for the hubbies, you know?

JACK. Mm. Youre not just trying to spite them? Get them vexed, ha?

BRENDAN. Not at all. Im, just. Its a grand spot up there. Ah, I dont know. Just...

Short pause.

JACK. They over the whole day?

BRENDAN. They got here about two. Theyd gone for lunch in the Arms. Got their story straight. Ah they were gone and all about half four.

JACK. Theyve no attachment to the place, no?

BRENDAN. No they dont. They look around, and its... Ah yeah... you know?

They laugh a little.

Its gas.

JACK. Mm.

BRENDAN. Were you in Carrick yourself?

JACK. I was. Flew in about eleven, threw on a fast bet. Jimmy was there, we went for a quick one in the Pot.

BRENDAN. How is he? And the ma?

JACK. Ah. Jimmy. Be in tonight. He put me on to a nice one. We got her at eleven to four.

BRENDAN. Youre learning to listen, ha?

JACK. Ah. Fuck that sure. I know, but Ive been having the worst run of shit you wouldnt believe. I was that desperate, Id listen to anybody.

BRENDAN. Go on out of that.

JACK. Ah no. No no. Fair dues. Ill say it. He got us a right one. And its good, you know. Break a streak like that.

BRENDAN. Youre a user.

JACK (laughs). Theres worse.

BRENDAN. Yeah. There might be.

JACK. But, ah, he was telling me. Did you know about Maura Nealons house?

BRENDAN. No.

JACK. Well. Jim says he met Finbar Mack down in the Spar. Finally, either sold ors renting the, the thing, after how many years its sat there?

BRENDAN. Jays, four or five in anyway.

JACK. Jim says five this month. And Finbars going bananas with the great fella that he is. Patting himself on the back, goodo, and talking about the new resident. Who, he says, is a fine girl. Single. Down from Dublin and all this. And Finbars nearly leaving the wife just to have a chance with this one. Only messing, like. But hes bringing her in here tonight, the nearest place. To old... Mauras. Bringing her in for a drink. Introduce her to the natives.