Guest Blog: Actor Sam O'Mahony On The UK Tour Of THE WEIR

Before I was offered this part I hadn't done a play in three years. I'd been concentrating more and more on my own directing projects; my film Killing Ruby had just won the Audience Award at the East End Film Festival, so acting was the last thing on my mind. And then an audition for Brendan in a tour of The Weir came along.

I had always loved Conor McPherson's work. I saw The Seafarer at the National some years ago and consequently devoured his plays. I recently saw Girl from the North Country at the Old Vic, which I absolutely adored. His interest in the supernatural and the afterlife, is something I enjoy immensely. In short, he's a genius. And I want his brain.

So a tour of The Weir was intriguing. The last tour I did was about 10 years ago and was defined by a lot of half-empty auditoriums and "characterful" digs hosts telling me exactly what Tupperware to put my food in. Ah, digs...

But in the last few years, I had stopped assessing acting jobs by how they might benefit my 'career'. Instead I decided to take jobs (when I got offered one!) based on their artistic merits and whether they would, y'know, make me happy. Would it inspire me? Would I learn something from it? Would it be fun?

A tour of The Weir with English Touring Theatre, who everyone raved about as a company, seemed like a good decision artistically and personally. I hadn't seen Adele Thomas's work, but her reputation preceded her, so I knew we'd be in safe hands. And I needed a change. An adventure. And my weird digs stories needed replenishing.

Returning to a rehearsal room for the first time in years was intimidating. When your recent acting career has consisted of a few days playing baddies on US TV shows (playing a Canadian Nazi was a highlight), returning to the detailed nature of theatre is like going from strumming a few chords on a guitar to having to pick a Paganini concerto.

It took me a week or two to shake off the embarrassment as well. Theatre is so much more...intimate. Everyone needs to bond quite quickly and trust is paramount, so there's no room for shyness.

It wasn't the easiest process. I found myself bemusedly observing the other actors sometimes - "Look at them all pretending that cardboard box is a fire. Weird." But I eventually let go, the old LAMDA instincts kicked in, and suddenly it was exciting.

We've been touring for the past two weeks and the show has been going brilliantly. So much fun, and incredibly rewarding. Having such a great group of actors is a blessing. The play relies on the delicate moments of subtext and tension we found with Adele in rehearsals, so it's important we can all be comfortable enough to flag up with each other when those elements are drifting off course.

There's only five of us and we have six months ahead of us. Trust is vital. Pride is pointless. The play is the thing, and it feels like a privilege to have the chance to perform it each night. The months ahead certainly don't seem as intimidating as they might. And so far, the digs hosts have been completely normal. Hoping that will change soon...

Full tour dates and venues for The Weir

Watch a trailer below!

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

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