Upstage Players to stage The Weir in The Mall Theatre Tuam
THE multi-award-winning Upstage Players from Claremorris will bring Conor McPherson’s The Weir to The Mall Theatre in Tuam this week, ahead of their All-Ireland Final performance.
The Weir will be staged in the Tuam venue this Thursday and Friday night, April 10th and 11th, at 8pm. Admission is €15 and tickets are available from Quinn’s in Tuam, as well as on the door each night.
A gripping story from beginning to end, The Weir is set in rural Ireland in 1997. In Brendan’s pub, isolated above the town, the locals are gathering for their daily pint, but their normal routine is shaken up when an attractive stranger arrives. As the night progresses, they share tales of ghostly happenings…but what starts as innocent braggadocio turns serious when the stranger reveals a real, haunted tale of her own.
Established in 2024, Upstage Players is based in Claremorris, Co Mayo, attracting members from across the region, with North Galway well represented in The Weir.
While relatively new to the circuit, the group’s actors and crew are well known in drama circles all over the West and beyond.
Dunmore's Ollie Turner plays Finbar in The Weir, with Tim Oates from Claremorris as Jack. Aishling Costello, also hailing from Claremorris, takes on the role of Valerie, while Ollie Barrett (on loan from Mayo to Milltown) plays Jim, and Donegal native Jourdain Cunningham, who now lives in Balla, takes on the role of Brendan.
The Weir is directed by Alan Heneghan with Vera Kilgallon as artistic coordinator and stage manager. The pair also took charge of stage design and construction. Billy Freeley is on lighting, with Andrea Silke on sound. The show is produced by Mary Esler.
This week’s performances in Tuam offer a last chance for audiences to see the show before the group’s appearance in the All-Ireland Confined Finals in Claremorris Town Hall and Theatre on Saturday night, April 26th. Claremorris Drama Festival committee will host the national contest this year. Nine groups will participate in the All-Ireland Confined Finals, with the festival running from Friday, April 25th to Saturday, May 3rd. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 4th.
Over the last number of weeks, Upstage Players has been touring the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI) Festival Circuit with The Weir. The group participated in a total of seven festivals, scooping three firsts, two seconds and two thirds, alongside myriad additional individual and group accolades, and countless nominations.