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Movies & TV

17th Aug 2016

LOOK: Pat Shortt’s new TV show Smalltown has some brilliant Irish talent involved

Paul Moore

It’s coming very soon…

Pat Shortt is back on Irish television with a lead role in a new three-part television drama series, Smalltown, by award-winning Kerry writer/director Gerard Barrett.

Talented filmmaker Barrett has been earning rave reviews for Pilgrim Hill and his most recent film Glassland, a brilliantly bleak picture which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, with Irish actor Jack Reynor winning the Special Jury Prize for Best Actor at the same festival for his portrayal of the main character, John.

Smalltown tells the story of a rural family who struggle to cope with change in their lives.

Pat Shortt plays Tom, a busy farmer who works the land with his youngest son Timmy (Stephen O’Leary), while his other son, Conor (Charlie Kelly), becomes increasingly alienated from family life as he’s out of work and out of luck with his on/off girlfriend Sarah (Rose O’Loughlin).

Yep, Pat Shortt playing a character named Tom made us think of this also.

tomfatherted

Back to the story of Smalltown though…

The family is held together by wife and mother Mary (Pauline O’Driscoll) and when Conor leaves to work in London, he becomes immersed in his new life, forgetting the people at home. Years later, he receives the call to come home as his mother is terminally ill.

When we arrives back, he begins to realise that much has changed.

We’re amazed that Gerard Barrett found the time to write, directe and produce the series, because he’s also very busy in post-production with his new film, Brain on Fire, which stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Carrie-Anne Moss and Richard Armitage.

Smalltown premieres on Thursday 1 September at 10pm on TV3.

Smalltown

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Topics:

Pat Shortt,TV,TV3