Louise Kiely Casting is about to start working on a feature film, Dark Touch.
t is a darkly sinister and thrilling Horror about a girl called Niamh who has telekinetic powers.

Director: Marina De Van (Don’t look back, In my Skin) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888418/
Producers: Ed Guiney and Jean-Luc Ormieres for Element Pictures http://elementpictures.ie/
Shoot: Middle/End of January for 6 weeks. Start Date: TBC
Location: 3 weeks in Ireland and 3 weeks in Sweden

Kids Casting (First Round): 24th to 27th November inclusive (Afternoons Mid-week and all Weekend)
Casting Venue: The Central Hotel; Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
We will hold recalls with the Director when she is in Ireland.

Adult Casting: TBC. Most likely early December.

Character Descriptions:

Niamh 11 (F)
A sweet and and fragile child who has been damaged by regular abuse and mistreatment from her parents which she cannot consciously remember. Niamh’s life becomes unbearable. She cannot fathom what happens to a building when she becomes distressed. When the “madness” happens, she hears loud piercing noises in her ears. She does not intend to hurt those around her. She fears being around adults and physical contact. She cannot relate to other children. Happiness is not a feeling she is familiar with. Beneath her cold, hard, yet protective shell, Niamh is a caring child who thirsts for love. This is a huge role for a young girl. The actress will be needed for nearly every scene of the film. Demands on the child will make this a tough (but also amazing) experience for the child we cast. Accent should be neutral Irish. Reference for Niamh is the girl in the Film, “Let the right one in”
Please note: It is very important that Niamh is still a girl/child and not a teenager. Lead Role.

Nat 30’s (F)
Like Niamh, Nat is gentle and fragile. She is tender and very sensitive. Devastated by the death of her child Mary years ago, Nat tries to pass on this love and motherly affection to Niamh. She is extremely intuitive. She unconsciously empathizes with Niamh. She hears the noises that Niamh hears but excuses the painful sound as tinnitus. Blinded by her clumsy love for Niamh and affection for her late parents, Nat sees nothing negative in Niamh. She defends Niamh to Lucas when he accuses Niamh of being strange. She works part-time in the town hall. She has lots of real friends in the village. Accent should be neutral Irish. This is a physically demanding role. Nat is brought to a very slow and painful end. She is a great character. Lead Role.

Lucas 30’s/40’s (M)
Lucas is a man of the soil, full of commonsense and pragmatism. He was devastated when Mary died years ago. He masks the pain that still exists, reining in his emotions. He is uncomfortable with Niamh. Out of loyalty to her parents and love for Nat, he welcomes her into his home. Very tender with his kids, he is a strong and loving father. He sees Niamh’s actions as a threat to his family unit. He fights to protect them against her. He works as an engineer in a factory, a few kilometres away from the hamlet. This is also a physically demanding role. Lucas is tortured at the end…lots of blood and broken bones! Lead Role.

Tanya Late 20’s/30’s (F)
Originally form Eastern Europe, Tanya is a lively, intelligent and sensitive woman who works as a social worker. Living life to the full, she is a positive person who has empathy for others. She is the only adult who is capable of guessing what Niamh’s torment stems from. She is pregnant. Tanya is the only person who Niamh exposes her own need for love to.

Peter and Emily 9-12
Two children; brother and sister; similar in age. They are regularly beaten by their mother. They are a frail, vulnerable pair. Physically they should have small frames. Peter and Emily become friends with Niamh quickly. Because of her supernatural powers, they regard her as a leader. The understand Niamh’s pain. The three children are separate and marginalised in school. Accent should be neutral Southern Irish. These two should be very strong little actors.

Ryan 8 (M)
Nat and Lucas’ son. He is a smart and charming little boy. He is bright and good at school. He gets on well with his sister but does not like Niamh. Accent should be Neutral Southern Irish.

Lucy 7 (F)
Lucy is a lovely, intelligent little girl. She is a good child for Nat and Lucas. She does not cause trouble. She attends the local school where she has lots of friends. She is probably a little afraid of Niamh. Accent should be Neutral Southern Irish.

Christina 30’s/40’s (F)
Christina is Peter and Emily’s alcoholic mother. She should be fierce looking and have a menacing quality that would immediately scare a child. She is probably a rather tragic character. She is physically violent with her children. She has a massive scene where the house actually beats her up and then kills her.

Lisbeth 30’s (F)
Lisbeth is a friend of Tanya and Nat’s from the town. She has a daughter, Anne, in the same school as the other children. Lisbeth is a friendly, warm woman who is a good mother. She asks Anne to invite Niamh to her birthday party. Niamh’s discomfort creates havoc at the party and a fire starts in the house; burning the dolls and some of the children.

Maud 30’s (F)
Maud is Niamh’s mother. We believe she is a warm and caring mother. From the outside, it seems that this is a normal, well-run house hold. We learn later that Maud and Henry are mis-treating Niamh. Maud is in a couple of scenes at the beginning but dies in a fire quite early on.

Henry 30’s (M)
Henry is Maud’s husband and Niamh’s father. Henry is a doctor. The family moved to the country recently for a quieter life-style. Henry treated Mary when she was ill with cancer years ago therefore Nat and Lucas are very grateful to Henry. Henry and Nat are abusing Niamh. Henry also dies in the house-fire.

Matthew 30’s/40’s (M)
Matthew is Niamh’s teacher at school. He is a calm, self-possessed individual who talks to kids like they are real people. Perhaps he coaches the soccer team and he probably doesn’t own a suit. He is Tanya’s husband and adores her. Matthew is a nice guy and a very good teacher.

Please contact Louise Kiely @ louisekielycasting@gmail.com