A new romantic drama series from Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne will see Keeley Hawes playing a nun in love with a man of the cloth, Channel 4 has announced.
Hawes, known for The Durrells and Bodyguard, will portray Sister Anna in Falling, opposite The Lazarus Project actor Paapa Essiedu as Catholic priest David.
Thorne said: “I never thought I’d write a love story, but I am very excited to be making one with the brilliant (director) Peter Hoar.
“We feel so lucky we have persuaded the mighty (and lovely) Keeley Hawes, the brilliant (and also lovely) Paapa Essiedu and the most amazing company of (lovely) actors to come make this with us.”
The show, which is filming in Wales and Bristol, will follow the reluctant lovers who are devoted to the church and its community.
They will be “forced to wrestle with what it means for them, their vows and their relationship with God”.
Also in the cast is Coma actor Jason Watkins, Heartbeat actress Niamh Cusack, Gavin And Stacey’s Adrian Scarborough, Susan Brown from Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Vera Drake actress Sandra Voe.
Hawes, 49, said: “I’m thrilled to be taking on the role of Anna and so looking forward to working alongside the brilliant Paapa Essiedu to bring Jack Thorne’s beautiful scripts to life.”
Essiedu, 34, said: “Falling is a story that has Jack Thorne’s singular talent of mining the sublime out of the ordinary running all the way through. I can’t wait to work with Keeley, Peter and the rest of the team to bring this world to life.”
Thorne is also an executive producer on the six-part show alongside George Ormond and George Faber.
Joe Donaldson, who has worked on Cobra, Ripper Street and Peaky Blinders, is the producer, and Peter Hoar, known for It’s A Sin, The Last of Us and Umbrella Academy, will direct.
Thorne recently co-created the Netflix global hit Adolescence, which was at the top of worldwide viewing on the streaming platform for weeks, and has sparked national conversations about violence against girls.
The limited series, about a boy accused of killing a girl in his class, examines so-called incel (involuntary celibate) culture involving misogyny and bullying on social media.
Thorne and co-creator Stephen Graham spoke last month to Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street about the issues and Netflix said it would make the series free to stream for all secondary schools in the UK.
Essiedu, known for Gangs Of London and I Will Destroy You, is set to play Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter TV show.
