No Escape on Paramount Plus will show that life on a glamorous yacht can harbor some terrifying secrets. Bringing the bestselling novel The Blue by Lucy Clarke to life, the series follows best friends Lana (Tin Star’s Abigail Lawrie) and Kitty (The Outlaws’ Rhianne Barreto) who are on the run from the UK police. They find sanctuary on a ship called The Blue, which promises a carefree life full of beautiful people, parties and endless beaches, but that paradise soon turns into a nightmare and the pair find themselves far from home and in mortal danger.
“I’ve just watched the first three episodes and wow! It is beautifully shot, sensuous, dark, transportive, and the cast are magic. I cannot wait for it to land on your screens,” says author of the book Lucy Clarke. “When I saw the opening credits with the words ‘Based on the novel by Lucy Clarke’ I got goosebumps, and just sat there staring at the screen thinking, ‘How is this even real?’”
So here’s everything you need to know about the Paramount Plus thriller series No Escape…
No Escape release date
No Escape is a seven-part series that launches on Paramount Plus on Thursday May 18 2023 in UK, Ireland and Canada. We will update on the thriller's US release as soon as we hear.
* Paramount Plus price: cost, deals and content for the streaming service.
* Sign up for Paramount Plus here.
Is there a No Escape trailer?
Yes there's an official No Escape trailer plus an earlier teaser trailer, and the action looks intense. There's a great tropical setting too! Do check out both trailers below...
No Escape plot
Some of the No Escape story is told in flashbacks as it follows best friends Lana (Abigail Lawrie) and Kitty (Rhianne Barreto) who have fled the UK, on the run from the law. As the story unfolds and we see flashbacks and it’s clear the two young women are caught up in a terrible event and are unable to ever return to the UK. The pair find refuge on a romantic yacht called The Blue, which is sailing through south east Asia, and excitedly throw themselves into their new life.
Life on The Blue seemingly provides the perfect hideout and escape for the girls, however tensions on board between skipper Aaron, played by former Neighbours actor Jay Ryan, and other crew members, including his younger brother Denny (Sean Keenan), soon start to spill over as more disturbing discoveries come to light. The Blue’s crew consists of a number of enigmatic, gorgeous people who are embracing the glamorous life on board but this shiny façade belies an undercurrent of lust and greed. It eventually leads to a death in their midst, and Lana and Kitty end up in terrible danger. A distress call is made and the police in northern Australia find the yacht deserted. So how did the girls’ dream life end up going so badly wrong?
No Escape cast — Abigail Lawrie on playing Lana
In No Escape, Abigail Lawrie plays Lana, who is searching for a new life. "The action flicks between the present day and the past," explains Abigail whose character, Lana, is seen being questioned by the police in early scenes. "I was intrigued because Lana barely speaks to start with. She’s insular, she’s hard to read and a lot more reserved than Kitty. She’s also very good in a crisis. It gets increasingly dark. There is lots of suspense and secrets are unleashed."
* Abigail Lawrie played Margot in Sky's action series Strike and starred as Anna Worth in Tin Star. She also appeared in The Casual Vacancy and Good Omens.
Rhianne Barreto on playing Kitty
Rhianne Barreto plays Kitty, Lana’s best friend and partner in crime. She told us: "My character Kitty is far more extrovert. She has a lust for life and wants to experience everything so she’s constantly pulling in the opposite direction to Lana. There are secrets within secrets. What’s exciting is there’s escapism with the beautiful scenery, there’s a love story element but it’s also an action series and a thriller, too."
* Rhianne Barreto previously starred in the BBC1 comedy series The Outlaws, alongside Stephen Merchant and Christopher Walken. She played Bekhal Mahmod in the drama Honour and has also appeared in the series Strike Back and Hanna.
Who else is starring in No Escape?
No Escape also stars Jay Ryan, the New Zealand actor who played Jack Scully in Neighbours as teh yacht's skipper Aaron. Sean Keenan (The Power of the Dog) play's Aaraon's younder borther Denny. Also look out for Colette Dalal Tchantcho (Dangerous Liaisons), Elmo Anton Stratz (Westwall) and Narayan David Hecter (Riviera) as the crew on board The Blue.
Susie Porter (Wentworth Prison) and Josh McConville (Fantasy Island) are the Australian detectives investigating the mystery on board The Blue, while Jake Macapagal (Metro Manila) is Captain Reyes from the local Filipino Police force, determined to discover what really happened on the ship.
Behind the scenes and more on No Escape
The lead writer on No Escape is Kris Mrksa (White House Farm) and Hans Herbots (The Serpent, Cobra) is the lead director. Executive Producers for New Pictures are Elaine Pyke and Willow Grylls with Kris Mrksa.
No Escape author Lucy Clarke says: “It’s been the most incredible experience to see my novel reimagined for screen. I’ve loved every moment of the journey from reading early scripts to visiting the set in Thailand. The series is breathtaking: transportive, gripping, and thrilling from beginning to end. I can’t wait for viewers to fall in love with it, too!”
* Other top series on Paramount Plus to enjoy...
* Fatal Attraction
* The Gymnasts
* A Gentleman in Moscow
* Queen Of The Universe
* The Killing Kind
* The Flatshare
