Former manager of Dunnes Stores Larne to appear in horror short 'The Pale Man' at Foyle Film Festival
A former manager of Dunnes Stores in Larne is forging a new career as an actor and writer, with a starring role in a short horror film.
Houdi McCabe co-stars alongside Belfast actor Anthony Mc Kenna in The Pale Man, a ghostly tale centred around an old embittered man who awakes in the middle of the night to find a strange intruder eerily sitting in his living room.
Inspired in tone and atmosphere by the short stories of Edgar Allen Poe as well as mind bending science fiction anthology series The Twilight Zone, the 23-minute piece is written and directed by Andrew Dornan.
It will be screened at the Nerve Centre, Londonderry on November 22 as part of the Foyle Film Festival’s Young Filmmakers Showcase.
Originally from Clones, County Monaghan, Houdi joined Dunnes Stores as a management trainee in 1981.
He moved to Belfast in 1985, where through work he met his wife, Portrush native Carole Robinson.
"We married in 1989 and have lived in Portrush ever since,” the 63-year-old said. “We have three adult children: Ben, Elizabeth and Alice. Our first grandchild Genevieve was born in April this year.”
He worked in Dunnes’ Larne as branch manager from 2015 to 2019 until it ceased trading, having previously managed branches in Magherafelt, Londonderry and Belfast.
"I always wanted to be an actor, but unfortunately the arts industry does not provide significant remuneration to rear a family, pay mortgages and university fees and so on,” Houdi added.
"Also the commitment demanded by a senior management role precluded me from acting part time. My belief is that the hawk that chases two rabbits catches neither – so I put my thespian leanings into deep freeze.
"At 61, taking early retirement I defrosted and participated in some acting workshops to hone the craft with Susie Phelan, Charis Agbonlahor and Sarah Dylan in Belfast. I’m also currently with the Bright Umbrella theatre company in Sanctuary Theatre East Belfast under Trevor Gill Director, assisted by Wilson McDowell and Lindsay Charrington, who are all professional actors.”
In the two years since, Houdi has made 25 short films, three feature films, a TV advert, a music video, four social media adverts, six rehearsed reading plays and four studio plays. “I also write short stories and have recently been published in English publication Impspired in Lincoln. I perform these stories at events across the province such as Flash Fiction Armagh, TENX9 Black Box Belfast hosted by journalist Paul Doran, and Swell/Soundwaves North Coast, facilitated by author Mary Farrell.”
He’s also currently adapting one of his stories into a short film screenplay.
The Pale Man was one of a group of short films to receive funding through the BFI Film Academy Award Bursary, a scheme by Nerve Centre’s Screen Academies which is supported by BFI Film Academy with National Lottery Funding.
Commenting on the horror short’s upcoming screening, Houdi said: "This film reaching a prestigious festival is a big step in the right direction for all three of us involved.”