The local theatre society is presenting The Weir until Nov. 15
The writing is truly incredible, it’s just so well-crafted and the storytelling is just so on point
Brian Fidler
The Weir, a play written by Conor McPherson, first premiered in London, England, in 1997. Taking place in a rural Irish pub, it centres around a stranger disrupting the usual goings-on of the barflies, upstaging their ghost-story-sharing session with a much darker, more real tale that unsettles the listeners. This fall, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 15, the Guild Hall will be presenting an all-local production of the play.
“The writing is truly incredible,” says Brian Fidler, the Guild Hall’s artistic director. “It’s just so well-crafted and the storytelling is just so on point.”
For Yukon audiences, in particular, Fidler thinks the play can feel familiar and relatable. “We are a small town, even though we have many amenities,” he says. “We’re a small place, and it’s really the connection between us all that I think keeps us here, and that’s what this play is; it’s about the real connection between people, not an online, artificial connection, but when people gather in a room and really talk to each other.”
Taking place only on a single set over the course of an evening, with no scene changes, the play transports audiences to other times and places through only its dialogue, in the stories its characters tell.
“I think this play’s strength is the characters and how they are crafted,” Fidler says. “Consequently, we need to have really good actors in those roles, and really good direction, in order to keep an audience engaged with our current short-term attention spans. We have an excellent cast.”
Directed by Reid Vanier, the Guild Hall’s production of The Weir features Katie Payne, Jason Westover, Roy Neilson, Jody Woodland and James Cleary in the five character roles.
“There are no weak links,” says Fidler. “It’s a very strong, connected cast. I was up there over the weekend, when they were doing their tech weekend where they layer in the lights and the sound with the acting, and that cast was just superconnected. They sing songs together as their warmup, and they’re playing games.
“They’ve got a dartboard … They’re fully embracing the pub aesthetic of the piece, and everyone is sort of going in and out of their Irish accents, all the time. At its core, it’s all about the acting and how those actors are connected with each other through the direction.”
Fidler says Vanier has been able to masterfully bring out the chemistry between the actors and has fostered the connection on which the play hinges, while also understanding the subtleties of the script.
“He’s an excellent director,” Fidler says of Vanier. “I just love his work.”
Tasked with creating the ambience of the play was lighting designer Martin Nishikawa. Fidler says the lighting work is instrumental in complementing the story and moving the plot forward.
“There is a series of monologues in the story that are just beautifully painted by the lights,” he says. “[Nishikawa] has just done a masterful job of moving those monologues forward and painting pictures up there.”
With a four-week rehearsal process for the actors to get comfortable with their roles and for the crew to prepare, the pieces are in place for the show’s nearly-three-week runtime, and Fidler is excited to bring the performance to the stage. While the show focuses primarily on dialogue, without set and costume changes, its magic lies in its surprising complexity.
“As I mentioned, it’s masterful storytelling on so many levels,” says Fidler. “If you really enjoy good storytelling and excellent acting and a well-crafted story, then this is the play for you. It’s very well done, and every aspect of the production is just wonderfully rendered.”
Though nothing comes to mind for Fidler as being insurmountable, as far as challenges putting together the production goes, there are always things that come up and it’s crucial to be adaptable.
“We’re always working with people’s schedules because we are a community theatre,” Fidler explains. “These are your friends and your neighbours up on the stage, and people have lives, jobs and families. We need to be flexible in how we put together our rehearsal schedule so people can fit this into their lives. I think that’s kind of the main obstacle that we encountered is just being mindful of people’s time and what they’re able to offer to the Guild.
“If I can say it, we give a lot back to people who perform in our shows. We really try to treat them with a lot of respect and be mindful of their time, and just give people an opportunity—just as they are giving us so much of their time and so much of their effort and their love, and just that they put into it—we have to match them and we have to do our best to match what they’re giving us.”
Fidler also gives props to set designers Rebecca Manias and Courtney Holmes for their transformation of the space into an old-time Irish pub that makes audiences feel as though they are other patrons listening in on the conversations of the characters.
“If you’ve been to a show at the Guild, you know how that space can change,” he says. “With each show, it’s like you’re walking into another world; and with this, they’ve done that. It’s an Irish rural pub and it’s to the tee. It’s really, really charming.”
Because the show has no intermission, Fidler encourages attendees to show up early to have a drink before the performance, since the theatre’s bar will also be made over into a mock pub, complete with drinks from Yukon Brewing.
“People should come and soak up the atmosphere, get in the spirit, have a drink and enjoy the space,” he says. “The Guild is looking really good these days.”
Tickets to see The Weir are on sale now through the Yukon Arts Centre online. Visit guildhall.ca to check out the showtimes, read the full program and find tickets.
