Friday, June 22, 2012

Ive Just Worked On...

Picture
The Weir.
by Conor McPherson 

The Weir by Connor McPherson at the newly re-branded New Theatre. Directed by the fabulous Alice Livingstone, and many-a-time collaborator of mine on numerous projects in numerous capacities. The cast was likewise amazing: Patrick Connolly, Barry French, Lynden Jones, Peter McAllum and Amanda Stephens-Lee. The play is set in County Sligo in the north west of Ireland. Resources on the dialect proved hard to find - Donegal, just above, being more prominent. Best lead was the always useful IDEA and Chris O'Dowd of IT Crowd and Bridesmaids fame being a Sligo native. In some ways, the research is my favourite part!

In an isolated Irish country pub, four middle-aged men spin yarns to impress a young woman visiting from Dublin.  Over pints of Guinness, with the night closing in and a faint whiff of sexual tension in the air, what starts out as blarney and bluster soon turns dark and sinister as their tales drift into the realm of the supernatural. Then Valerie reveals a startling story of her own. Funny, offbeat and spellbinding, The Weir is superb theatrical storytelling in the best Irish tradition.

Season dates were 7 - 31 March 2012

Reviews
"The whole cast speaks with a convincing accent; something which is either done well or best left alone. I wouldn’t be surprised if Patrick Connelly is a native of the area, so good was his effort." Joan Beal, ArtsHub

"Dialect coach Nick Curnow should be commended for the effort that’s gone into catching the Irish accent for the stage." Aussietheatre.com.au

"McPherson’s quirky, engaging characters are fleshed out with charm by this troupe, and maintain highly credible accents throughout. No mean feat, to be sure." OzBabyBoomers

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