The Weir

I missed The Weir the first time it was on in the West End in 1997, and when I saw it was being revived by the Donmar Warehouse last year I was keen to see it. Unusually, I was a bit slow off the mark in getting tickets so I was pleased to see it transfer to the Wyndhams Theatre, giving me a chance to take it in.

A tight hour and three-quarters, with no interval, and set in one space (a pub), The Weir has a sense of intimacy which draws the audience into the dialogue between the five characters and makes the shock which comes late in the play all the more affecting. The script, set design and pitch-perfect performances deliver a truly powerful study of life, loss, relationships and loneliness which has stayed with me for days afterwards.