I am home in Ireland for the Christmas holidays and I am looking forward to seeing The Weir by Connor McPherson at the Abbey Theatre this Friday. I haven’t been to see a show at the Abbey Theatre since I was in college. There is also a very cute looking Italian Restaurant across from the Abbey that looks promising. It’s painted kelly green with checkered curtains- what could be more inviting?

The Weir is set on a windy night in Rural Ireland. An outsider to the community called Valerie calls by the local eponymous pub. Where Valerie is regaled with tales by the local shanakees- but it is Valerie’s own story that will ultimately take the locals by surprise. The reviews for this Olivier award winning play are exciting and I am very much looking forward to being steeped in a world of folktales and magic. This play won the Olivier award for best new play in 1997-98. McPherson is a Olivier and Tony award winning writer. In the program, McPherson expresses how the play was inspired by the stories told to him by his Grandfather that were;

Fact, fiction, history, ghosts, religion and heresay all woven up together and I soaked it all up’

My favourite of which was the story of a man called McFadden. He had asked the fairies to cure his ailments. When Mc Fadden was cured but greedily asked for more from the fairies, the fair folk sent him back to the world doubled over and worse then ever before. I love a good story about the cautionary nature of wishing! Looking forward to seeing this play. A good tip for any theatre goer- if a show is sold out, you can always go to the box office 30 minutes before the show starts and ask about returned tickets. It’s often a great way to get cut price tickets to a sold out show.