Sky Atlantic’s ‘Little Birds’ Adds Hugh Skinner, Rossy De Palma, Nina Sosanya & Jean-Marc Barr To Cast
Sky Atlantic’s upcoming drama ‘Little Birds’ has added Hugh Skinner, Rossy De Palma, Nina Sosanya and Jean Marc-Barr to its cast, joining Juno Temple, Yumna Marwan and Raphael Acloque in the new series, produced by Warp Films.
‘Little Birds’ is set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous ‘international zone’ – one of the last outposts of colonial decadence, and a culture shock in more ways than one for troubled American debutante Lucy Savage, played by BAFTA-winning Juno Temple (‘Dirty John’, ‘Atonement’, ‘Killer Joe’, ‘Maleficent 1&2’). Lucy desires an unconventional life free from the society cage she’s been kept in and, along with Tangier itself, finds herself on the cusp of achieving a painful yet necessary independence.
Inspired by Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories, ‘Little Birds’ weaves stories of love and desire together with personal drama and political intrigue, set against a uniquely distinctive backdrop of hedonism and conflict.
Hugh Skinner (‘Fleabag’, ‘W1A’) plays Hugo Cavendish-Smyth, an aristocratic English Lord set to marry American heiress Lucy but whose heart lies elsewhere. A complex and heart-breaking character, Hugo is often torn between his unpredictable fiancée and his lover Adham Abaza, a dashing Anglo-Egyptian played by Raphael Acloque (’24: Legacy’, ‘The Secret Agent’). Stylish, smart and witty, Adham is the most eligible man in Tangier.
Yumna Marwan (‘Shankaboot’) will play Cherifa Lamour, a unique Moroccan dominatrix who services the diplomats and foreigners of this colourful, bohemian world. Mercurial, passionate and determined, Cherifa’s journey entwines the personal with the political as she attempts to change the world around her with her strength and resilience. Her presence enraptures Secretary Pierre Vaney, played by Jean-Marc Barr (The Cellar, Cut Off), who is desperately in love with her.
Iconic Spanish star Rossy De Palma (‘Broken Embraces’, ‘Julieta’) embodies the charming, witty and larger than life Contessa Mandrax, the beating social heart of the colony. Nina Sosanya (‘Marcella’, ‘Last Tango in Halifax’, ‘Killing Eve’) will play the glamorous actress Lili Von X, who encourages Lucy to live her life her way.
The bold and evocative six-part original series, written by Sophia Al-Maria (‘The Girl Who Fell to Earth’) and directed by Stacie Passon (‘Billions’, ‘House of Cards’), commenced filming in Tarifa in Spain last week before production moves to Manchester from May.
Little Birds joins a raft of recent commissions demonstrating Sky’s continued investment in original content and commitment to supporting the creative industry. It comes off the back of a record 16 BAFTA nominations for Sky content announced last week. Forthcoming original dramas set to air on Sky in 2019 include ‘Catherine The Great’, ‘Chernobyl’, ‘Temple’ and ‘Riviera’ season 2.
Little Birds is produced by Warp Films. Executive producers are Ruth McCance, Peter Carlton, Mark Herbert and Kara Manley. The new 6×60 minute drama has been commissioned for Sky by director of drama Cameron Roach and director of programmes for Sky entertainment UK & Ireland Zai Bennett, and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. The series will also air on Sky in Spain.
‘Little Birds’ will air on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW TV in 2020.
