In this Film Ireland Podcast, special guest host Gar O’Brien-Collins sits down with director and co-writer Glenn McQuaid to discuss his latest feature, The Restoration at Grayson Manor, arriving in cinemas on Friday, 6th November 2026.
The film tells the story of a spoiled and hedonistic heir, played by Chris Colfer, whose privileged world is turned upside down following a devastating accident that leaves him without his hands. Determined to preserve the family legacy, his domineering mother turns to experimental technology, investing in subconscious-controlled bionic prosthetics.
Gar chats with Glenn about getting the film across the line, developing its unusual premise and exploring the fascinating themes at the heart of The Restoration at Grayson Manor.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
Or watch the original recording here: https://www.filmireland.net/podcast-filmmaker-glenn-mcquaid-on-the-restoration-at-grayson-manor
Starring Golden Globe-winning actor, singer and novelist Chris Colfer (Glee) alongside Alice Krige (Gretel & Hansel, The Rig, She Will, Star Trek: First Contact), THE RESTORATION AT GRAYSON MANOR combines Gothic horror, dark comedy and melodrama with a distinctly queer perspective delivering a fresh and twisted take on the Old Dark House movie. Filmed at Stradbally Hall in County Laois, the historic estate better known to Irish audiences as the home of Electric Picnic is transformed into the imposing and sinister Grayson Manor.
Boyd Grayson (Chris Colfer) delights in bringing men home to his sprawling family estate for sex, taunting his legacy-obsessed mother (Alice Krige) with the cruel reminder that she will never have the grandchildren she craves. But when a freak accident leaves Boyd without his hands and dependent on her care, Jacqueline spies an opportunity to finally mould her son into the heir she always wanted.
Fitted with experimental prosthetic hands wired directly to his subconscious, Boyd begins the long road to recovery. The only trouble is that Boyd’s subconscious is, as his mother puts it, "as filthy as a pig wallowing in its own faeces." As buried desires and impulses find violent expression, mother and son are drawn into a bloody battle over identity, autonomy and heteronormative expectations.
Written and directed by Glenn McQuaid and co-written with novelist and screenwriter Clay McLeod Chapman (Ghost Eaters: A Novel, The Boy), The Restoration at Grayson Manor is a macabre story of family, identity, control and the lengths we will go to shape the people we love into something they were never meant to be.
The cast also includes Daniel Adegboyega (Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, The Tower, Tom and Jerry), Declan Reynolds (Sunphlowers, The Gaelic Curse, Puffball) and Gabriela Garcia Vargas (Der Pass, Der Bozen Krimi, Tatort – Der Elektriker).
The Restoration at Grayson Manor has enjoyed a strong international festival run, screening at some of the world’s leading genre festivals including Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, Fantastic Fest in Austin, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) and Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. The film had its Irish premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival earlier this year.
The film was produced by Brendan McCarthy, John McDonnell and Deirdre Levins for Fantastic Films (Vivarium, You Are Not My Mother), together with Austrian producer Horse&Fruits, with funding from Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the Austrian Film Institute (OFI), Coimisiún na Meán and RTÉ.
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