We have received huge news from the BBC of their first confirmed cast for the adaptation of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, due to screen on BBC One.
The mini-series, that’s in association with HBO, has a great cast confirmed that includes Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan, Julia McKenzie, and they’re also introducing newcomer Abigail Lawrie.
BAFTA Award-winning actor Michael Gambon is set to play Howard Mollison, owner of the Pagford delicatessen, with Julia McKenzie playing his wife Shirley. Howard’s son Miles is being played by Rufus Jones (W1A) with his wife Samantha Mollison being played by Keeley Hawes (Ashes To Ashes). Rory Kinnear, who recently won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his role as Iago in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Othello at the National Theatre, is to play Barry Fairbrother, Keeley Forsyth (Coronation Street) is playing Terri Weedon with newcomer Abigail Lawrie cast as her daughter Krystal Weedon.
Monica Dolan (SIGHTSEERS), who won a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Rose West in Julian Jarrold’s Appropriate Adult, will play Tess Wall with Simon McBurney playing husband Colin Wall. Richard Glover has been cast to play Simon Price alongside Marie Critchley (In The Flesh) playing his wife Ruth Price. Michelle Austin (Secrets & Lies, Another Year) will play Kay Bawden.
Other cast soon to be announced includes Parminder, Vikram and Sukhvinder Jawanda, Gaia Bawden, and other key characters including Mary Fairbrother, Maureen Lowe, Lexie and Libby Mollison, and Andrew and Paul Price.
The BBC One miniseries, in association with HBO, will consists of three one-hour parts and production begins on July 7th in South West England. The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade, however, is a town at war: rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils.
The miniseries is written by Sarah Phelps (the BBC’s Great Expectations and The Crimson Field), produced by Ruth Kenley-Letts (The Tunnel, the Emmy winner The Hour) and will be directed by Jonny Campbell (BAFTA winning mini series In the Flesh, BAFTA winner Eric & Ernie).
JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy has sold more than six million copies worldwide since its publication in 2012.
Source: BBC
