MacPherson, Conor (1971– )

Irish playwright and co-founder of the Fly By Night Theatre Company. Born in Dublin, he studied philosophy at University College, Dublin, and went on to hold a term as writer-in-residence with the Bush Theatre, London. His first major London success was This Lime Tree Bower (1995), but The Weir (1997), staged at the Royal Court Theatre, received even greater acclaim. Seemingly straightforward, his drama is punctuated with moments of intense moral questioning that put the characters' lives in relief against a contemporary Irish society which is quickly changing. A master of the dramatic monologue, MacPherson's work constantly questions the nature of identity, criminality, and morality.