A claustrophobic new drama is coming to BBC One.
Starring Suranne Jones and Shaun Evans, the BBC’s tense new drama Vigil will start this bank holiday weekend with two episodes, one on Sunday and one on Monday, before continuing each Sunday evening.
Set aboard the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil, the story focuses on the investigation of an onboard death, which leads to Jones’ DCI Amy Silva boarding to work out what happened – with numerous twists and turns all but guaranteed to be thrown her way as she does it.
And it would appear that at least one of those twists and turns could be coming from Shaun Evans’ character, Glover. Evans recently revealed that Glover has a secret he is keen to keep to himself – was he involved in the death that has been ruled a suicide?
“In terms of Glover’s personal life, there’s not a lot I can say without ruining a few twists for you,” Evans said in a BBC press release. He added: “it’s safe to say he’s got a secret! When we meet him at the start of the series he’s onboard Vigil working away from his family – his wife and child – for 90 days, which could potentially turn into 180 days.”
As for how Evans would cope if he were on board the submarine in Glover’s shoes, well he wouldn’t do very well by the sound of it. “I could not think of anything worse! Freedom is the best thing, right? The freedom to go and take a walk, get a cup of coffee, get away from people. The idea of not being able to do that or even step outside to get a breath of fresh air? It is my idea of hell.”
That being said, he has nothing but nice things to say about the set. “The designer had done a terrific job because it was huge in scale but the details were so incredibly specific and intricate. Working on it was fantastic. And, bearing in mind that we started filming before COVID, by some miracle and a lot of hard work from the team we were still able to film on the set after filming resumed, in a way that makes it look like we’re still confined to tiny corridors with a huge crew.”
What is Vigil about?
Here is the official synopsis for the show that should answer that very question for you:
“When a crew member is found dead onboard the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil, police in Scotland are called in to investigate. The catch? The UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain unbroken, so the submarine stays on patrol and Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) must go aboard to begin an investigation.
“Although the death was written off as an accidental overdose, Amy suspects foul play. But when the crew close ranks in the face of Amy’s questioning, a new threat overshadows her inquiry.”
Vigil starts on BBC One on Sunday 29th August at 9pm. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Drama hub for the latest news.