DERMOT’S UK PRE
WEXFORD actor Dermot Murphy is attending the London Film Festival this week to promote the Irishmade movie The Drummer And The Keeper in which he plays a starring role alongside Dublin newcomer Jacob McCarthy.
The film which was seen by audiences in Wexford cinemas over the past few weeks, tells the story of an unusual friendship between two young men – Gabriel, a reckless young rock drummer with bipolar disorder played by Dermot, and Christopher, a teenage goalkeeper with Asperger’s syndrome who yearns to fit in, played by Jacob.
The heartwarming story which has received huge media attention and won acclaim from audiences and critics, demonstrates the power of friendship and the strength of the human bond in the face of adversity.
Directed by Nick Kelly whose short film Shoe was shortlisted for an Academy Award, the Drummer And The Keeper had its debut in July at Galway Film Fleadh where it won the award for Best Irish First Feature and received a standing ovation from the audience at the world premiere which was attended by members of Dermot’s family including his mother Theresa, owner of Annie’s Haberdashery in Mallin Street.
Theresa also went to see the movie at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin, thinking it mightn’t come to Wexford but it was picked up by Element Pictures for general release and nationwide distribution in Ireland and also in the UK. It was shown at both the Omniplex and Arc cinemas in Wexford. An autism-friendly premiere screening was also held in the Lighthouse for members of the Autism community WEXFORD PEOPLE
Iwhich provided advice and support during the preparation and rehearsal phase of the project, according to the director. Many of the extras are people with Autism from the Aspire Drama Group. The film is enjoying its UK premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival this week, with screenings last night (Monday) at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema and the BFI Southbank NFT tomorrow (Tuesday). Dermot has travelled to London for the festival along with the director and other cast members and the producer Kate McColgan. The film was produced by McColgan for Calico Pictures with support from the Irish Film Board. It also stars Niamh Algar, Peter Coonan and Phelim Drew.
Thirty-year-old Dermot’s television credits include RTE dramas Raw and Clean Break and BBC Northern Ireland’s 6Degrees as well as the feature film Black Ice and the award-winning short No Messages’. He also had a lead role in the Basciville music video Blues in Red.
His theatre work includes Lay Me Down Softly, directed by Billy Roche which was staged in the Tricyle Theatre in London, Eoin Colfer’s Lords of Love and more recently in Decadent Theatre’s touring production of Roche’s The Cavalcaders.
He is also a voice-ov er artist and voiced the lead role of Jimmy Brady in the radio drama version of Billy Roche’s A Handful of Stars, produced by South East Radio which was nominated for Best Drama at the PPI National Radio Awards in 2015.