Two Irish Plays - Reviewed

I wouldn't normally write two reviews for two plays together, however the similarities between the two were uncanny. The two plays are The Weir playing at the New Theatre in Newtown and The New Electric Ballroom playing at the SBW Stables Theatre Darlinghurst, they both opened on the same night and will close on the 31 March. Both plays are set in rural Ireland, in small villages where everybody knows each other and a stranger is a novelty. They are both set in one location throughout the play but other places are referenced. They both have no plot, each developing with the characters, relying totally on the script and the quality of the actors.  The characters in both plays tell stories of the past and it is through these stories that we learn, who they are.  Both plays are very well written, the dialogue is very natural, they are both well produced and the acting in both plays should be commended. Having said all that, the two plays were very different in tone and emotion and so I will now deal with them separately.

The Weir by Conor McPherson and directed by Alice Livingstone
The Weir is set in a small village pub, the locals are disturbed by a newcomer to the Village, a female, Valerie. The local men enter the pub and talk soon turns to Valerie and Finbar. Finbar is another local who has made good of his life and managed to escape the village. It is soon apparent that Brendan, Jack and Jim are all jealous of Finbar, even more so now he has been personally escorting Valerie on a guided tour of the Village and its surrounds.
It is extremely well written you can imagine that you were actually there just listening to the goings on. It is obvious that the men like the drink and after a few pints and small ones, they try to impress Valerie with stories about the village. Unknown to them, Valerie is comforted by their tales of ghosts and the supernatural, she has a story of her own. The only thing I will say is that after the climax of Valerie's story I think it went on a little too long after that. But, overall it is an amusing portrayal of Irish pub life!

The New Electric Ballroom by Eden Walsh and directed by Kate Gaul
The New Electric Ballroom is set in the living area of a small cottage. In the cottage live three sisters. Two of the sisters never leave the house and the third is held in the village under their spell. The only visitor to the house is the Fishmonger. This is a haunting play, there are moments of violence which leave you wondering what else the sisters maybe hiding. There are moments of humour but on the whole it is a dark play. The sister's rein-act the past, a time when they did venture into the world. It is through these stories that they hold Edna the youngest, they warn her of the cruel world. When the fishmonger enters you keep thinking that he is going to bring some normality to the play, it starts off like that but then you learn that he too has been affected by his isolate life in the village. 

Seeing these plays it does highlight what living in a small community can be like. Many people still live in the same village, even house their whole lives.  It reminds us that there is a large world out there, which we should explore and experience.