Lily Allen makes her television debut in the new series.

By David Craig

Published: Wednesday, 05 April 2023 at 12:00 am

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The profound bond between four sisters is put to the test in Lily Allen’s brand new Sky comedy Dreamland, which sees the pop icon in her first ever regular television role.

The series begins with Mel O’Sullivan (Allen) returning to her hometown of Margate after her glamorous life in Paris comes to an abrupt end, but finds that not everyone is excited to see her.

The least impressed is Trish (Freema Agyeman), who has enough to worry about already with a baby on the way and doesn’t need her distant and chaotic younger sister stirring up trouble.

Alas, that’s exactly what happens as Mel holds a secret that could tear the whole family apart.

Ahead of the show’s premiere on Sky Atlantic and NOW, you can get acquainted with the characters in Dreamland below – and where you might have seen the cast before.

Lily Allen plays Mel

Who is Mel? Mel is moving back to her hometown of Margate after some time living glamorously in Paris for work. When we meet her, she’s reeling from the loss of her job and it isn’t long before another jaw-dropping bombshell hits. Her relationship with her family, particularly older sister Trish, has become strained over the years.

Allen said: “Mel is a bit of a dark horse within the family make up. She has aspirations outside of Margate, where her family live. She’s tried to make a life for herself away from all that, and that’s failed, and she has now returned.

“She loves her family, each person for different reasons. I think she just feels a bit misunderstood, and maybe not heard and not seen – but she’s probably not well-equipped to be able to deal with it.”

What else has Lily Allen been in? Lily is best known for her music career, but previously appeared in coming-of-age comedy How to Build a Girl.

Freema Agyeman plays Trish

Who is Trish? Trish is the oldest of four daughters in the O’Sullivan family. She is currently expecting her third child with husband Spence, although emotions are running very high as she has previously suffered three miscarriages. She is not impressed by Mel’s sudden return given how little support she has offered in recent years.

Agyeman said: “We meet her at a time in her life where she is a happy family woman, at the core of her family unit. She is married to Spence, who together have two kids and another on the way.

“Very quickly we discover that she has endured so much trauma; three miscarriages in two years. She is quite the fighter. She is bruised and vulnerable but with aspirations and dreams.”

What else has Freema Agyeman been in? Agyeman shot to national fame on sci-fi drama Doctor Who, where she played the Tenth Doctor’s second companion Martha Jones. She went on to international success, collaborating with visionary filmmakers The Wachowskis on their Netflix series Sense8 and The Matrix Resurrections. She is also coming off a four-season run on US medical drama New Amsterdam.

Kiell Smith-Bynoe plays Spence

Who is Spence? Spence is married to Trish and is planning some major life changes with her. Not only are they expecting another child, but they are also looking to buy their first family home – a fixer upper in their hometown of Margate.

Smith-Bynoe said: “Spence is positioned in the middle of a rivalry between the two main characters, sisters Trish and Mel… there’s a rift between them which had been destined for a while.

“He’s pretty chill and laid back and very used to being a dad to boys. He says that he’s committed to being a good dad, but I don’t know if that’s completely true, although he’s a real family man and very loyal.”

What else has Kiell Smith-Bynoe been in? Smith-Bynoe currently stars in the smash-hit BBC One comedy Ghosts, where he plays haunted homeowner Mike. He is also known for similarly acclaimed sitcoms Stath Lets Flats and Man Like Mobeen.

Gabby Best plays Clare

Who is Clare? Clare is another O’Sullivan sister. She has frequently stuck up for Mel when her actions have risked alienating other members of the family. Personally, she strives to become a writer and is currently developing ideas for a debut novel.

Best said: “Clare is very much the rock of the family, steady and dependable. She’s spent years absorbing everyone else’s drama and she’s perhaps reaching saturation point.

“To be so heavily relied on, yet completely overlooked… I was drawn to that disconnect, and what it might do to a person. She’s essentially a human buckaroo, just loaded with baggage. At what point will she crack?”

What else has Gabby Best been in? Best has appeared in BBC comedies Pls Like and There She Goes.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards plays Leila

Who is Leila? Leila is the youngest sister in the family. She is very close with her grandmother and enjoys ‘upcycling’ items that she finds strewn around Margate.

Edwards explained: “Out of all of them, Leila likes confrontation the least, although she will stand up and back any of her siblings. She hates drama but always finds herself wrapped up in it.

“But within the family, she is more likely to sit back and make everybody a cup of tea. She is also the closest to Nan, as she’s a bit of an old soul.”

What else has Aimee-Ffion Edwards been in? Ffion-Edwards currently stars in the Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses, while she is also known for roles in Peaky Blinders, War of the Worlds, and Keeping Faith.

Frances Barber plays Cheryl

Who is Cheryl? Cheryl is the mother to Trish, Mel, Clare and Leila. She raised her four children with her own mother, Maureen. Now, she is turning attention to herself with an exciting – but scary – new relationship.

Barber said: “She’s on a new path, which I think a lot of mothers do when their kids grow up. She has embarked on her first ever gay love affair, which she is keeping a secret from the family.

“She is very excited and emotionally invested in it, but she’s quite frightened too, because everyone wants to know everyone’s business… it’s all very turbulent.”

What else has Frances Barber been in? Barber’s recent projects include Acorn TV‘s Whitstable Pearl, CBBC’s Oliver Twist reimagining Dodger, and Lee Mack sitcom Semi-Detached.

Sheila Reid plays Maureen

Who is Maureen? Maureen is the O’Sullivan family matriarch, who is something of a local legend around Margate, known for keeping the town’s streets and beaches clean.

Reid said: “She’s always up for a challenge and she wakes up every morning excited at what the day may bring… She also has a great relationship with God, she talks to him as if he’s the milkman.”

What else has Sheila Reid been in? Reid is probably best known for her icy role of Madge on ITV sitcom Benidorm, who she played for almost a decade. More recently, she has appeared in sci-fi thriller Humans and medical drama Call the Midwife, as well as a trilogy of UKTV spoof murder mysteries: Murder on the Blackpool Express, Death on the Tyne, and Dial M for Middlesborough.

Martina Laird plays Diane

Who is Diane? Diane is a woman who has recently moved from London to Margate. She has quickly struck up a romantic connection with Cheryl, but their relationship remains a secret for now.

What else has Martina Laird been in? Viewers may recognise Laird from the latest season of ITV crime drama Unforgotten. Previously, she played Comfort Jones on the medical soap Casualty, while she is also known for The Bay.

Hugh Coles plays Dom

Who is Dom? Another new arrival from London, Dom is an architect looking to buy a home he can renovate, who unexpectedly feels a spark with Leila.

What else has Hugh Coles been in? Coles is known for BBC legal sitcom Defending the Guilty, crime drama Death in Paradise and US comedy-drama Atlanta.

Dreamland premieres on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW on Thursday 6th April 2023 – sign up for Sky TV here.

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