Keeley Hawes is set to lead the cast of upcoming BBC drama Crossfire.
The three-part series has begun filming, and promises to be quite the nail-biting watch as it follows a woman in a resort in the Canary Islands that has been taken over by gunmen “out for revenge”, the official synopsis teases.
Hawes, whose recently starred in Finding Alice and has appeared in It’s A Sin, Line of Duty and Bodyguard, will be playing Jo, a woman staying in the hotel where the thriller is set alongside friends and family.
Joining Hawes in the Crossfire cast are Josette Simon (Small Axe, Riviera), Anneika Rose (Deadwater Fell, Line of Duty), Lee Ingleby (The A Word, The Serpent Queen, Criminal UK), Daniel Ryan (The Bay, Home Fires), Vikash Bhai (The Stranger, Limbo), Hugo Silva (Nasdrovia, The Cook of Castamar), Alba Brunet (Operation Mincemeat, Paraiso, The Mallorca Files), Shalisha James-Davis (Alex Rider, I May Destroy You) and Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials, Good Omens).
The series marks an original screenwriting debut for author Louise Doughty, whose best-seller book Apple Tree Yard has been adapted into an Amazon Prime series, and is being made in co-production with Spanish free-to-air broadcaster TVE.
Speaking of the casting news, Hawes said in a statement: “I’m so excited to be embarking on this brilliantly compelling and propulsive drama for the BBC, especially as it’s the third production for Buddy Club. Filming has already begun and we’re delighted to be collaborating with the team at Dancing Ledge Productions and Louise Doughty on her first original production for television.”
Louise Doughty added: “This is a drama about a group of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary event – a gun attack on the hotel where they are staying. In extremity, each character is faced with a set of dilemmas: and at the heart of it is Jo, who booked the holiday and unknowingly put her family and friends – and herself – at risk.
“I’m fascinated by the idea of how so-called ordinary people respond to intense pressure and I couldn’t be more excited to have written this drama for Dancing Ledge Productions and the BBC and to have the amazing Keeley Hawes in the star role.”
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, said: “Louise’s scripts crackle with adrenalin, intrigue and secrets kept among a long-standing group of friends. But amidst the action and emotion, Crossfire explores the consequences of the secrets we keep, the risks we take and the lies we tell to conceal them. This is a startling original piece of writing. We are thrilled to be working again with Louise and Dancing Ledge Productions, and to be welcoming back the unmissable Keeley Hawes to BBC One.”
It’s unclear at this stage when the drama will land on BBC One, but it already sounds like it will be worth the wait.
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