Mayo group back on stage with The Weir ahead of All-Ireland final
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 10 and 11, at 8 p.m. 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, Claremorris-based Upstage Players attracts 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 from Balla, with Vera Kilgallon from Mayo Abbey as artistic coordinator and stage manager. The pair also took charge of stage design and construction. Irishtown’s Billy Freeley is on lighting, with Andrea Silke from Dunmore on sound. The show is produced by Mary Esler from Claremorris.
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 26.
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 25, to Saturday, May 3. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 4.
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.
Upstage Players took top honours at Claregalway Drama Festival, where Alan Heneghan was also named Best Director, Tim Oates took Best Actor, Ollie Barrett was named Best Supporting Actor, and The Weir also won Best Overall Production. In addition, the group claimed first prize at Kerry Drama Festival, where Alan Heneghan won Best Director and Tim Oates again took Best Actor. Strabane Drama Festival - where Ollie Turner was named Best Actor - was the third qualifier to award first place to Upstage Players.
At Lislea Drama Festival, Upstage Players finished second with The Weir, and also took the 2025 Audience Award. Tim Oates won the award for Best Character Portrayal, Jourdain Cunningham was named Best Newcomer, and the group won the award for Best Production Ensemble and Cast. Upstage Players also took second at Ballinamore Drama Festival.
Mountmellick Drama Festival saw Upstage Players finish in third place, while the group also took home third prize from Ballyshannon Drama Festival, where Tim Oates was named Best Actor. There were several other nominations in various categories across the circuit run. Impressively, all five characters received Best Actor nominations along the way.