Derry Girl Michael Doherty catches up with film-maker/ musician Bronagh Gallagher
Bronagh Gallagher talks to Michael Doherty about her lead role in the acclaimed new Irish comedy, A Bump Along the Way
Amulti-talented singer, songwriter, actor and all-round force of nature, Derry girl Bronagh Gallagher first came to prominence with her performance in The Commitments (1991). Bronagh has since appeared in a variety of movie and TV roles, ranging from Pulp Fiction on the big screen to Pramface on the small. Her latest film, A Bump Along the Way, stars Bronagh as a 40-something single mother who finds herself pregnant following a one-night stand.
Michael Doherty: First off, Bronagh, A Bump Along the Way went down very well at the recent Toronto Film Festival. How was the experience for you?
Bronagh Gallagher:
We had a ball! It was such a joy to be there with my sister [Louise, producer] and all our fantastic team and to feel the reactions of the audience. As with the festival screenings in Galway and Belfast, you could feel people deeply connecting with the film. I’m still on a high.
Where did you go to find the character of Pamela?
I just went into the mind-set of someone who has had these issues for most of her life. She thought she would never have another child, and the child that she does have has been giving her a hard time of late, resenting the fact that her daddy isn’t around and that he doesn’t pay much heed. I know a lot of women who have been through that so you take from that and then you work through the script and then it’s just a matter of telling the story. You want to make your character feel real and authentic so that people can relate to her. And thankfully, audiences have been relating to her so far.
How collaborative an experience was it between you and the film’s screenwriter, Tess McGowan?
We all worked closely together on it. Very often, there’ll be various drafts of the script, so it was a case of all hands on deck so we could give this story the best shot it could get. Everybody brought their own experience and abilities of the film-making process to bear in serving director Shelly Love’s overall vision. I was very honest about things I felt couldn’t stand up 100%, and was totally committed to the project. Whatever needed to happen was going to happen.
What difference did it make having your big sister in the producer’s chair?
She was amazing, and I’m so proud of what she was able to achieve with this film. She was patient and dedicated. Louise is very humble; not a Johnny-bigboots like some producers. I think she has played a blinder and even though she had a micro budget, we have a beautiful piece of work that we’re all very proud of.
How was it to work opposite newcomer Lola Petticrew in the role of your teenage daughter?
She’s a wonderful talent. For someone so young, Lola has already done some great work in theatre and for TV. We shared some really strong scenes at home and in the hospital. Both of us got stuck in because we knew what we had to do, and we knew we only had 18 days in which to do it!
In general, has it been tough to balance your music and acting careers?
Well, it’s something that you have to make work. For example, we have new music coming out but I’m going to be filming until the middle of December on Brassic, so it’s all about the schedules! Sometimes, you’re booking gigs and then waiting to hear if there’s a block of filming to be done. But there are periods, too, when it’s easier to combine the two. The music tends to be more local. We tour here and a bit in Europe and a few gigs in the US, but we’re not on the road all the time. And we find time to write our music, too. I do my best!
You strike me as someone who enjoys juggling so many balls in the air....
That’s always been true, but I think as I’m getting a bit older, maybe I’d like it to be a bit less hectic! I love performing, that’s the great side of it; but I’m less enamoured by the trains, planes and automobiles needed to get there. That all said, I’m blessed to be able to do what I do.
We’re told that things are changing for the better when it comes to women in the film industry. Is that your experience? Are you seeing enough scripts with fully rounded female characters?
I think it’s definitely changing. There have been so many men at the heads of studios and film companies, but now you have strong women like Angelina Jolie, who are executive producers of their own movies, which is fantastic. There is a certain amount of work for women but it tends to go to a small percentage of names in the world.
Even top actresses who are household names struggle in that scenario. You always live in hope that it will change, and things will change now that women are writing, producing and directing. I was delighted to play a leading role in Bump and I would love to be offered more scripts that I can get my teeth into. I’m usually the funny friend or the supporting friend or the dark friend, but hopefully now I have graduated from that!
A Bump Along the Way is currently showing nationwide