By Daniel Furn

Published: Thursday, 04 November 2021 at 12:00 am

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PD James’ bestselling Inspector Dalgliesh books are getting a brand new adaptation on Channel 5, which of course means a whole new cast.

Doctor Foster star Bertie Carvel will be the latest actor to play the poem-loving policeman, following in the footsteps of Roy Marsden and Martin Shaw.

However, this being a mystery series there are plenty of ominous and potentially guilty supporting characters populating the English countryside, which is sure to make Dalgliesh’s work all the more difficult.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters of Dalgliesh.

Bertie Carvel plays Adam Dalgliesh

Who is Adam Dalgliesh? Adam Dalgliesh is, of course, the protagonist of the PD James mystery novels. Reserved and enigmatic, Dalgliesh is a widower still grieving his wife’s death, and has been reluctant to commit ever since.

This new series will follow the Detective from the 1970s to the present day, adapting the novels Shroud for a Nightingale, The Black Tower, and A Taste for Death.

Carvel has told RadioTimes.com and other press that the series is “a story about the first year of grief”.

“I mean, for me, the big excitement about this job was to knit these stories together,” he said. “As a TV detective, you have the opportunity to tell a story that’s running parallel to the murder stories, like the murder of the week kind of thing.

“So there’s another story going on about what’s in the detective’s mind, which may or may not relate to the murders. With these, the way of knitting these three stories together for me was that it’s a story about the first year of grief, he’s just lost his wife and child.”

Where have I seen Bertie Carvel before? Bertie Carvel is best known on-screen for his roles as cheating husband Simon Foster in Doctor Foster and magician Jonathan Strange in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. However, he has also starred in the film adaptation of Les Miserables, won two Olivier awards for his work on stage in Matilda the Musical and Ink, and will soon be seen in season five of The Crown as Tony Blair.

Carvel is married to actress Sally Scott, who also appears in two episodes of Dalgliesh as Helen Rainer.

Jeremy Irvine plays Charles Masterson

Who is Charles Masterson? Charles Masterson is Dalgliesh’s sidekick who is hot-headed, judgemental and opinionated – the exact opposite of Dalgliesh.

Where have I seen Jeremy Irvine before? Jeremy Irvine is best known for his Hollywood breakthrough in Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse, but has worked steadily since appearing in Great Expectations, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and was the lead in short-lived Jason Bourne spin-off Treadstone.

Irvine has earned a reputation as a method actor having gone two months without food for a torture scene stunt in The Railway Man, and can soon be seen in the upcoming Green Lantern series.

Richard Dillane plays Dr Stephen Courtney-Briggs

Who is Dr Stephen Courtney-Briggs? Dr Stephen Courtney-Briggs is the arrogant bigwig surgeon at nurse training school Nightingale House, and appeared in the 1971 novel Shroud for Nightingale.

Where have I seen Richard Dillane before? Dillane has starred in fellow mystery adaptation Young Wallander, Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning political thriller Argo and fact-based drama Oranges and Sunshine. More recently he has appeared in season four of Netflix’s historical drama The Last Kingdom, Dutch war film The Forgotten Battle and guest-starred in two episodes of Call the Midwife.

Amanda Root plays Sister Brumfitt

Who is Sister Brumfit? Sister Brumfit is one of the supervisors of the trainee nurses at Nightingale House, and is not happy at all to see Dalgliesh disturbing her routine.

Where have I seen Amanda Root before? Amanda Root is best known for starring as Anne Elliot in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Persuasion, Miranda in classic BBC sitcom All About Me and voicing Sophie in the 1989 animated adaptation of The BFG. She also appeared in Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady, and recently joined fellow Dalgliesh cast member Bertie Carvel in The Sister.

Natasha Little plays Matron Mary Taylor

Who is Matron Mary Taylor? Matron Mary Taylor is another supervisor at Nightingale House, and impresses Dalgliesh with her intelligence, dedication and cool detachment – qualities Dalgliesh also possesses.

Where have I seen Natasha Little before? Natasha Little got her breakthrough in classic ITV drama London’s Burning, before going on to star in crime film Another Life, John Le Carre adaptation The Night Manager and BBC miniseries Thirteen. She has also made appearances on The Bill, Cadfael, Vanity Fair and War of the Worlds.

Fenella Woolgar plays Sister Mavis Gearing

Who is Sister Mavis Gearing? Snappy Sister Mavis Gearing is a clinical instructor and third senior nurse at Nightingale House.

Where have I seen Fenella Woolgar before? This won’t be Woolgar’s first time playing a Sister, as she is known for her role as Sister Hilda in Call the Midwife. She has also starred on the big screen in Stephen Fry’s directorial debut Bright Young Things as well as Judy Garland biopic, while on television she has appeared as Agatha Christie on Doctor Who and historical drama War and Peace.

 Helen Aluko plays Christine Dakers

Who is Christine Dakers? Christine Dakers is the only black nurse at Nightingale House, and was being blackmailed by the murder victim Heather Pierce.

Where have I seen Helen Aluko before? Helen worked as an understudy on the original West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for several years, before playing the role of Rose Granger-Weasley full time. Dalgliesh will be her first major TV role.

Eliot Salt plays Madeleine Goodale

Who is Madeleine Goodale? Madelaine Goodale is a bright student nurse at Nightingale House.

Where have I seen Elliot Salt before? Elliot Salt had a big 2020, landing a main role in both Sky comedy Intelligence and BBC Three breakout hit Normal People. In 2021, she starred in Netflix’s live-action Nickelodeon adaptation Fate: The Winx Saga.

Alice Nokes plays Julia Pardoe

Who is Julia Pardoe? Pardoe is a nurse at Nightingale House, who Pierce also tried to blackmail.

Where have I seen Alice Nokes before? Alice Nokes is best known for starring as Anne Boleyn in historical drama The Spanish Princess, but has also appeared in EastEnders as Courtney Mitchell and guest-starred in episodes of Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso.

Siobhán Cullen plays Josephine Fallon

Who is Josephine Fallon? Josephine Fallon was the first choice for the assisted feeding demonstration that tragically killed Heather Pierce, but was in the adjacent hospital at the time instead – or so she says…

Where have I seen Siobhán Cullen before? Irish actress Siobhán Cullen has starred in YouTube Original Origin, Britbox original The Long Call and historical thriller The Limehouse Golem.

Beccy Henderson plays Heather Pierce

Who is Heather Pierce? Heather Pierce was a nurse who was poisoned during an assisted feeding demonstration, prompting Dagliesh’s investigation.

Where have I seen Beccy Henderson before? Beccy Henderson is best known for starring as Aisling in Channel 4’s breakout comedy hit Derry Girls, but has also worked as a voice actress and puppeteer on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Dalgliesh premieres on Thursday November 4th at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5. Visit our Drama hub for more news and features, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.

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