Catherine Tate plays both prisoner and jailor in her new Netflix mockumentary-style comedy series Hard Cell, which follows the inmates and staff at a fictional women’s prison.
Tate takes on multiple roles in the series, including the newly-arrived cheery governor Laura Willis, who decides to stage a musical inside the institution; a male prison guard; and several convicts inside HMP Woldsley.
The comedy, which was also written and created by Tate, is set over a six-week period where the inmates rehearse a musical directed by former EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison.
An official synopsis from Netflix says: “Rehearsals draw together an oddball collection of women as they find their voices, grow in confidence and strengthen their friendships. Funny yet surprisingly moving, Hard Cell leans into the comical truth of prison life.”
Read on for everything you need to know about Hard Cell.
Hard Cell release date
The mockumentary series Hard Cell is available to stream on Netflix from Tuesday 12th April 2022.
Hard Cell cast
Although the show’s creator and star Catherine Tate (The Nan Movie, Donna Noble in Doctor Who) will feature prominently in the series cast, transforming into multiple major characters, other key cast members in Hard Cell include Donna Preston (Inside No.9), Christian Brassington (Poldark) and Cheryl Fergison (EastEnders).
Hard Cell trailer
You can check out the first trailer for Hard Cell below.
In the video, one of Tate’s characters, named Big Viv, seems particularly thrilled with the upcoming prison musical, declaring: “I’m a natural born entertainer. I’m also incredibly violent and singing is my happy place.”
Hard Cell is available to stream on Netflix from Tuesday 12th April 2022. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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