ITV drama Grantchester is returning for a seventh season, reuniting Tom Brittney and Robson Green as motorcycle-riding Reverend Will Davenport and local detective DI Geordie Keating, respectively.
Adapted from the Grantchester Mysteries novels by James Runcie, the series was renewed Grantchester for season 7 before season 6 had even aired.
The new instalment of the beloved period drama features returning fan favourites like Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, in addition to guest appearances, including Ghosts and Call the Midwife star Charlotte Ritchie.
Green has teased already that Brittney’s character, Reverend Will Davenport, would be seeking relationship advice from Geordie, and it seems we may have found a potential love interest in Bonnie (Ritchie), a widow and Cathy’s niece.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters in Grantchester.
Tom Brittney plays Will Davenport
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Who is Rev Will Davenport? A motorcycle-riding vicar who previously replaced James Norton’s Sidney Chambers as Grantchester’s resident sleuthing man of the cloth. In season 5, Will’s (self-imposed) vow of celibacy was broken (with a nun, no less). Since the start of season 6, he’s been far more sexually liberated.
Talking about his character’s season 7 arc, Brittney said: “This series really tests Will’s romantic life and relationships. A person comes into his life and causes a lot of problems because when Will falls in love, he falls hard. Then someone else comes along, who Will wasn’t expecting and they throw a spanner into the works and he has a real dilemma on his hands of what to do. He needs to choose between following his head or his heart.”
Where have I seen Tom Brittney before? You might recognise Brittney for his role as Lieutenant Jeremy Foster in the time-travelling series Outlander. He has also appeared as American Tyler Mitchell in the BBC’s Lottery drama The Syndicate, and as Roger Lockwood in UnReal.
Robson Green plays Geordie Keating
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Who is Geordie Keating? A gruff police detective and best friends with Will, he’s married with children. In previous seasons his marriage to Cathy was on the rocks following his affair with a colleague, and the pair have since become estranged as of season 6.
“Geordie is lost at the beginning of this series, he no longer has the safety net of family. He is detached from Cathy and the kids and he’s living with Will at the Vicarage, also feeling lost there and like a fish out of water. There’s a lot of scope for odd couple behaviour, Tom is definitely Jack Lemmon and Geordie is Walter Matthau,” Robson Green said of season 7.
Where have I seen Robson Green before? One half of ’90s singing duo Robson and Jerome, Green’s television CV includes prominent roles like Dr Tony Hill in Wire in the Blood and Dave Ticket in Soldier Soldier; more recently he played Teddy in BBC One drama Age Before Beauty. He’s also fronted numerous fishing programmes, including Robson Green: Extreme Fisherman.
Al Weaver plays Leonard Finch
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Who is Leonard Finch? A closeted gay friend of Will’s and former curate, season 6 saw a dramatic reversal of circumstances for him, after he was outed following a seaside holiday with secret boyfriend Daniel.
As Al Weaver explains: “Leonard is no longer a priest and he’s out of prison and we find him on a new venture. Jack and Mrs C have kindly lent him some money to open up a kind of beat, poet cafe in tribute to his heroes of Ginsberg and Kerouac, that serves Moroccan style food with a bit of a Russian theme. Leonard’s really excited as well as nervous because it’s a new adventure for him, he’s anxious about it but Leonard is always anxious, isn’t he!”
Where have I seen Al Weaver before? Weaver has starred in Colette, Peterloo and The Hollow Crown, and recently played James Edwards in the Mike Bartlett series Press.
Kacey Ainsworth plays Cathy Keating
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Who is Cathy Keating? Geordie’s estranged wife, who has found new independence and is working in a department store. She and Geordie reconciled since his unfaithfulness earlier in the series, but at the end of season 6 the pair split.
“At the beginning of the series Cathy has thrown Geordie out, this time for good, and they’re trying to co-parent and negotiate the logistics of it all with pick-ups and drop-offs, the whole diary mess which doesn’t fit well with Geordie’s job. He’s a bit all over the place and he is realising how hard it is to try and combine work and childcare,” Kacey Ainsworth said.
Where have I seen Kacey Ainsworth? The actress played Little Mo in EastEnders, and has previously starred in Holby City’s police spin-off Holby Blue. She also played the gentle-natured Miss Gullet in the revamp of popular ’90s children’s show The Worst Witch.
Tessa Peake-Jones plays Mrs Chapman
!["Grantchester]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/02/grantchester_series7_episode1_18-8a1d8cb.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"grantchester_series7_episode1_18\"")
Who is Mrs Chapman? Formerly Mrs Maguire (she married again in season 3), Mrs Chapman is a devout housekeeper to Rev Will Davenport, and will be opening a cafe in season 7.
Where have I seen Tessa Peake-Jones? The actress is perhaps best known as Raquel Turner in legendary sitcom Only Fools and Horses, but Peake-Jones has also starred as Sue Bond in Doctors, Sheila in Unforgotten and Imelda Cousins in Holby City.
Charlotte Ritchie plays Bonnie Evans
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Who is Bonnie? Cathy’s widowed niece and mother of a little boy, she “brings a really likeable aspect to the arc that Tom [Brittney’s character Will] is pursuing in terms of true love”, according to Robson Green.
Where have I seen Charlotte Ritchie before? She plays Alison in the BBC comedy series Ghosts, George in Feel Good, and Nurse Barbara Gilbert in Call the Midwife, and has starred in Dead Pixels, Fresh Meat, Siblings, Raised by Wolves, and McDonald & Dodds.
Ellora Torchia plays Maya
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Who is Maya? A “problematic” love interest for Will. As Robson Green explains: “Will is pursuing Maya, which turns out to be problematic. As well as Will putting himself in jeopardy, this could jeopardise Geordie’s life and career.”
Where have I seen Ellora Torchia before? She’s known for The Split (as Maggie), Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Broadchurch, Midsommar, and other projects.
Jemma Redgrave as Amelia Davenport
!["Grantchester]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2019/12/grantchester_5_episode_2_26-1e84ee6.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Grantchester")
Who is Amelia Davenport? Will’s timid and aristocratic mother, her overbearing husband died by suicide in season 4 after his son, Will, and Geordie discovered that he had killed a man. She’s now attempting to strike out on her own and discover her own identity – and last season she got married.
Where have I seen Jemma Redgrave before? International audiences will recognise Redgrave as Evie Wilcox from Howards End (which also starred her aunt, Vanessa Redgrave). She’s also starred in Doctor Who (as the recurring role of Kate Stewart), Unforgiven and Holby City.
Oliver Dimsdale plays Daniel Marlowe
!["Grantchester"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/08/Grantchester-a337835.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C400" "\"Grantchester\"")
Who is Daniel Marlowe? Leonard Finch’s boyfriend.
Where have I seen Oliver Dimsdale before? He played the Prince of Wales in Downton Abbey, Peter Eaton in White House Farm, Mr Keen in Mr Selfridge, and Louis Trevelyan in He Knew He Was Right.
Dominic Mafham plays St John
!["Grantchester"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/07/Grantchester-f742f65.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C400" "\"Grantchester\"")
Who is St John? Will’s new stepfather.
Where have I seen Dominic Mafham before? The screen and stage actor has appeared in Ophelia, Strike, W1A, Humans, Father Brown, and The Musketeers.
Lauren Carse plays Ellie Harding
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Who is Ellie Harding? Ellie is a journalist and friend of Geordie’s. Her sensationalist coverage of some of the murders committed during season 5 offended Will, and he often rebuked her; however, the pair also seemed attracted to one another.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Tom Brittney previously said that his character Will didn’t agree with Ellie “morally”, but that the attraction is there from the beginning: “Me and Ellie are going to be the Ross and Rachel of Grantchester… I want all Grantchester to be related to Friends, in some way!”
Where have I seen Lauren Carse before? The actress has previously starred in dystopian drama Humans, Vera, The Mallorca Files, and in the mini-series Dark Mon£y.
Jordan Alexandra plays Sunny West
!["Grantchester"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/07/Grantchester-20ef6a3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C400" "\"Grantchester\"")
Who is Sunny West? A young woman who works at Merries Holiday Camp, and who Will met while on holiday in the season 6 premiere.
Where have I seen Jordan Alexandra before? The newcomer appeared in Bridgerton, and has previously starred in A Tree Fell Today and Brave New World.
Want more show content like this? Find out where Grantchester is filmed with our location guide.
Grantchester will return to ITV on Friday 11th March 2022 at 9pm. You can order the Grantchester Mysteries books from Amazon.
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