– Frankenstein Retold in Music and Film
Composer and multi-instrumentalist, Girish Paul, returns to Kilworth Community Centre to perform the entire music score of his feature film ‘Victoria Frankenstein’ for this year’s Halloween season at a special screening with live concert event on Saturday, 1st November at 8pm.
Produced by Carmel Barrett, with orchestral music scored by Girish, this powerful retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic story features two strong female characters in the lead roles as Frankenstein the scientist, played by Anne-Marie O’Brien and the hideous Daemon she creates, played by Mitchelstown’s very own Mary Gallahue.
Also featured are Sean Ahern as Professor Waldman, Kilworth’s Liam Howard as Professor Krempe, Mallow’s Anthony O’Connell as Victoria’s fiancé Edward, and young acting talents Lia Crowley and Oliver Cummins.
Well-known for his dramatic on-stage performances, Girish has just returned from the UK where he single-handedly transported audiences back in time with his heartwarming music and dramatic on-screen visuals.
Says Girish: “I’m delighted to be able to return to Kilworth to present the Director’s Cut of our film with additional music composed for the soundtrack this Halloween season, and wish to thank manager Kieran Barry and the wonderful staff at The Palace Theatre in Fermoy where several of the scenes for the motion picture were shot”
Q&A BY THE COMPOSER
How does your movie differ from the original story?
“Producer Carmel Barrett and I decided at the outset not to tamper with Mary Shelley’s storyline and therefore the plot that unfolds as the music is performed up on screen remains faithful to Mary Shelley’s original vision. However, the one singular twist that we wanted to achieve in our film was to feature the two lead characters as strong women instead of men.
“We felt that as a young Mary Shelley wrote her novel at a time when men dominated society in so many ways – a novel that subsequently became more famous than those written by the men of her time to become one of literature’s true classics across the world – we would present her story with two strong women in the lead roles.”
How did you cast these two strong female roles for your film?
“Carmel and I have had the good fortune to have worked previously with the enormously talented Mary Gallahue from Mitchelstown on our previous motion picture ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ that received the ultimate accolade at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival when it was described as ‘A Masterpiece’, so we were over the moon when Mary came on board to play the hideous Daemon created by Victoria Frankenstein.
“We had also worked with West Cork’s Anne-Marie O’Brien before and were delighted when Anne-Marie came on board also. Both actors turned in truly wonderful performances for us in the two demanding roles and helped to inspire my musical compositions when it came to writing the score for the finished motion picture.”
Who else is featured in your movie?
“We were also delighted to feature local talent in the form of Sean Ahern (The Diary of Anne Frank, Jesus from Nazareth, Chapati) and Kilworth’s Liam Howard (Anne Frank and as Pontius Pilate in Jesus from Nazareth), together with newcomers Oliver Cummins and Lia Crowley, both students from Montfort College of Dramatic Arts.”
What can audiences expect to see and hear?
“Our movie sweeps the audience back through time when huge ships scoured earth’s extremities in search of scientific knowledge at great risk to the crews. The evocative music score sets the scene and drives the story along as tension builds as Victoria searches for the secrets of life itself in the laboratory. In order to present the powerful music in its entirety, I will perform several instruments on stage supported by recorded samples of the orchestral score that will hopefully fuel the imagination and touch people’s hearts.”
Can audiences hear and see any scenes from the motion picture?
“Yes indeed, the film’s official trailer can be viewed at: www.girishpaul.com”
Are there any restrictions for the show people need to know about?
“The film is classed as 12A by the Irish Film Board so some scary scenes may not be suitable for children under the age of 12. Also, there is flash photography throughout the film.”
How may tickets be acquired for the show?
Tickets are €10 at the door on the night. Doors open at 7.30pm at Kilworth Community Centre.
