McPherson, Conor (1971-…), is a leading Irish playwright and director. McPherson’s dramas take place either in or near Dublin or in rural Ireland. He has been praised for his strong storytelling power and skill at creating a haunting, moody atmosphere. Many of his plays, such as This Lime Tree Bower (1995), consist of monologues. They gradually reveal the inner character of the speaker, often exploring themes of guilt and regret. Several of McPherson’s plays suggest supernatural elements at work in the lives of the characters.
McPherson was born on Aug. 6, 1971, in Dublin. He began writing plays while attending University College, Dublin, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. McPherson received a master’s degree from the university in 1993. He gained international recognition with The Weir (1997), which takes place in a rural Irish pub (tavern) and turns into a series of ghost stories told by patrons in the pub. Shining City (2004) is set in the Dublin office of a former priest turned therapist and has strong supernatural implications, with haunting ghostly apparitions serving as a reminder of sexual betrayal. The Seafarer (2006) is a suspenseful comedy drama that takes place during an evening of drinking in a suburban Dublin home on Christmas Eve. One of the characters turns out to be the Devil. McPherson wrote a musical, Girl from the North Country (2017), with songs composed by the American songwriter Bob Dylan. The story is set in a boarding house in Duluth, Minnesota, on a winter night in 1934, during the Great Depression.
Some of McPherson’s earliest plays are one-character dramas. They are Rum & Vodka (1994), The Good Thief (1994), and St. Nicholas (1997). His other plays include Dublin Carol (2000) and Come On Over and Port Authority (both 2001). McPherson has directed many of his plays and has also written several screenplays, including The Eclipse (2009).
