Conor McPherson facts for kids

Conor McPherson, born on August 6, 1971, is a famous Irish writer and director. He creates plays for the stage and also writes and directs movies. He is known around the world for his amazing work in theatre. In 2013, he received a special award, an honorary doctorate, from University College Dublin for his contributions to plays.

Early Life and Theatre Beginnings

Conor McPherson grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He started writing plays while studying at University College Dublin. He was part of the college's drama club, UCD Dramsoc. He even helped start his own theatre group called Fly by Night Theatre Company. This company produced some of his first plays. Many people think he is one of the best Irish playwrights working today. His plays are very popular and have been performed in famous places like London's West End and on Broadway in New York City.

Conor McPherson's Career in Theatre

Conor McPherson has written and directed many successful plays. His stories often explore deep human feelings and sometimes have a touch of mystery or the supernatural.

Famous Plays and Awards

His play The Weir opened in London and later moved to Broadway. It won a big award, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, in 1999.

In 2001, his play Port Authority premiered. It tells the stories of three different lives that become connected. Conor McPherson himself directed this play. It was performed in London and Dublin. Later, it was staged in New York City. A critic from The New York Times said watching it was like hearing exciting bedtime stories.

He also directed his play Dublin Carol in New York in 2003.

His 2004 play Shining City was a big hit. One newspaper called him "the finest dramatist of his generation." This play is about a psychiatrist in Dublin who helps a patient, but the psychiatrist also has his own secrets. It was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2006, including Best Play.

The Seafarer and Other Works

In 2006, McPherson wrote and directed The Seafarer. This play is set during Christmas Eve and involves a mysterious poker game. It was highly praised and won awards for its actors. It also moved to Broadway in 2007. Critics called it "succinct, startling and eerie" and "the funniest McPherson play to date."

In 2009, he adapted Daphne du Maurier's story The Birds for the stage. It opened in Dublin.

His 2011 play The Veil was a period drama set in 1822. It was described as a "cracking fireside tale of haunting." He also adapted August Strindberg's play The Dance of Death in 2012.

In 2013, two of his plays, The Weir and The Night Alive, were performed in London. The Weir was called a "modern classic." The Night Alive was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play. It also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play in 2014.

Girl From The North Country

One of his most unique plays is Girl from the North Country. This play uses 20 songs by the famous musician Bob Dylan. It's set in a boarding house in 1934 in Minnesota, USA. Bob Dylan's team actually asked McPherson to create a play using his songs. The play opened in London in 2017 and received great reviews.

Conor McPherson's Work in Film and TV

Besides plays, Conor McPherson has also worked on movies and TV shows.

Screenplays and Directing

He wrote the screenplay for the film I Went Down in 1997, which was very successful. He also directed and wrote his first feature film, Saltwater, in 2000. This film won an award at the Berlin Film Festival. His second film as a director was The Actors.

In 2009, he directed and co-wrote The Eclipse. This film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It won awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Irish Film and Television Awards in 2010.

TV and Movie Adaptations

In 2013, he wrote an episode for the TV series Quirke. In 2020, he helped write the movie adaptation of the popular Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer. This movie was released online on Disney+.

Influences

Conor McPherson has said that the famous writer James Joyce and the film director Stanley Kubrick are two of his biggest "heroes" and inspirations.

Awards for Theatre Work

Conor McPherson has received many awards for his plays, including:

• Europe Prize Theatrical Realities (with the Royal Court Theatre)
• Stewart Parker Award for The Good Thief
• Meyer Whitworth Award for This Lime Tree Bower
• Guinness/Royal National Theatre Ingenuity Award for This Lime Tree Bower
• Pearson TV Writer in Residence Award for This Lime Tree Bower
• Evening Standard Award for The Weir
• George Devine Award for The Weir
• Critics Circle Award for The Weir
• Laurence Olivier Award for The Weir
• Tony Award nomination for Best Play for Shining City
• Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Director for The Seafarer
• Laurence Olivier and Evening Standard nominations for Best Play for The Seafarer
• Manchester Evening News Award Best Touring Production for The Seafarer
• Laurence Olivier Award nomination Best Play for "The Night Alive"
• New York Drama Critics Circle Award Best Play for "The Night Alive"
• Lucille Lortel Award Best Play nomination for "The Night Alive"
• Drama Desk Award Best Play nomination for "The Night Alive"
• Laurence Olivier Award nomination Best Musical for "Girl from the North Country (musical)"
• Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Book of a Musical for Girl from the North Country

Plays Written by Conor McPherson

• Rum and Vodka (1992)
• The Good Thief (1994)
• This Lime Tree Bower (1995)
• St. Nicholas (1997)
• The Weir (1997)
• Dublin Carol (2000)
• Port Authority (2001)
• Come on Over (2001)
• Shining City (2004)
• Poor Beast in the Rain (director only) (2005)
• The Seafarer (2006)
• The Birds (adaptation) (2009)
• The Veil (2011)
• The Dance of Death (adaptation) (2012)
• The Night Alive (2013)
• The Nest (adaptation) (2016)
• Girl from the North Country (2017)
• Uncle Vanya (adaptation) (2020)

Film and TV Work