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Multiple productions and the international successes of plays like The Weir have led to Conor McPherson being regarded by many as one of the finest writers of his generation. McPherson has also been hugely prolific as a theatre director, as a screenwriter and film director, garnering many awards in these different roles. In this collection of essays, commentators from around the world address the substantial range of McPherson's output to date in theatre and film, a body of work written primarily during and in the aftermath of Ireland's Celtic Tiger period. These critics approach the work in challenging and dynamic ways, considering the crucial issues of morality, the rupturing of the real, storytelling, and the significance of space, violence and gender. Explicit considerations are given to comedy and humour, and to theatrical form, especially that of the monologue and to the ways that the otherworldly, the unconscious and the supernatural are accommodated dramaturgically, with frequent emphasis placed on the specific aspects of performance in both theatre and film.
THE STORY: SHINING CITY is set in Dublin, where a guilt-ridden man reaches out to a therapist after seeing the ghost of his recently deceased wife. Wrestling with his own demons, the therapist can only do so much to help. Routine visits between the
THE STORY: THE SEAFARER is a chilling new play about the sea, Ireland, and the power of myth. It's Christmas Eve, and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his irascible, aging brother who's recently gone blind. Old drinking buddies Ivan and
Set in a rural pub in western Ireland, "The weir" is a drama of interwoven stories as told by the locals about how they comfort and distract one another in the midst of desolation and grief.
Tommy's not a bad man; he's getting by. Renting a run-down room in his Uncle Maurice's house, just about keeping his ex-wife and kids at arm's length, and rolling from one get-rich-quick scheme to the other with his pal Doc. Then one day he comes to the aid of Aimee, who's not had it easy herself, struggling through life the only way she knows how. Their past won't let go easily, but together there's a glimmer of hope that they could make something more of their lives. Something extraordinary. Perhaps. With inimitable warmth, style and craft, Conor McPherson's THE NIGHT ALIVE deftly mines the humanity to be found in the most unlikely of situations.
The spellbinding premiere of The Weir at the Royal Court in 1997 was the first of many works to bring Conor McPherson to the attention of the theatre-going public. Acclaimed plays followed, including Shining City, The Seafarer, The Night Alive and Girl from the North Country, garnering international acclaim and being regularly produced around the globe. McPherson has also had significant successes as a theatre director, film director and screenwriter, most notably, with his award-winning screenplay for I Went Down. This companion offers a detailed and engaging critical analysis of the plays and films of Conor McPherson. It considers issues of gender and class disparity, violence and wealth i...
A classic chiller by a great Irish playwright, published alongside its revival at the Donmar Warehouse. In Brendan’s pub, isolated above the town, the men are gathering for their daily pint. The arrival of a stranger in their midst – a woman - spurs them to impress her with stories. They are stories of souls past and of spirits very much present. But one story is more chilling and more real than any of the men could have foreseen. On its première in 1997, The Weir won the Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and Olivier award for Best New Play, and established McPherson’s place as one of our greatest living playwrights. Josie Rourke’s production marks the first major British revival of this undoubted modern classic.
A psychic ex–CIA agent finds himself entangled in a conspiracy and hunted by a killer in this wild adventure from the author of the Mongo Mysteries. After a brain infection at birth almost killed him, Veil Kendry developed a unique power: His vivid dreams can transport him to the edges of time and to the minds of other men. A Vietnam veteran, martial arts instructor, and former CIA agent, Veil now makes a living painting landscapes unlike anything anyone has ever seen. The highly regarded Institute for Human Studies has invited Veil to undergo a battery of tests at their Big Sur facility to better understand his abilities as an artist. Although Veil is game for anything, nothing can prepare him for the secrets hidden behind the walls of the institute—or the ensuing fight to stay alive. Veil is the 1st book in the Veil Kendry Suspense Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
“The idea is inspired and the treatment piercingly beautiful . . . Two formidable artists have shown respect for the integrity of each other’s work here and the result is magnificent.” —Independent “Bob Dylan’s back catalogue is used to glorious effect in Conor McPherson’s astonishing cross-section of hope and stoic suffering . . . It is the constant dialogue between the drama and the songs that makes this show exceptional.” —Guardian “Beguiling and soulful and quietly, exquisitely, heartbreaking. A very special piece of theatre.” —Evening Standard “A populous, otherworldly play that combines the hard grit of the Great Depression with something numinous and mysterio...