Channel 4 has ordered four-part drama ‘Trespasses‘, an adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel starring Lola Petticrew, Tom Cullen & Gillian Anderson.
1975, in a town outside Belfast. Whilst working one night behind the bar of her family pub, serving a mixed crowd including the locally stationed soldiers, Catholic schoolteacher Cushla meets Michael, an older Protestant married man, who often defends IRA suspects and is friends with cultured Bohemians who enrage and intrigue Cushla. Worlds apart, Cushla knows a relationship like this spells all kinds of trouble, but they are irresistibly drawn to one another.
In a place where loose lips cost lives and danger lurks in the shadows, amidst the fear and paranoia, this illicit affair between Cushla and Michael ignites and burns bright…
Directed by BAFTA award-winning Dawn Shadforth (Mood, Adult Behaviour), Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands, Tuesday) will play Cushla, a sparky young woman whose hopes and dreams have been frustrated by the grind of daily life. Tom Cullen (The Gold, Weekend) will play Michael, a barrister, alongside Gillian Anderson (Scoop, Sex Education) as Gina, Cushla’s mother, a ‘glorious wreck’ who is constantly sparring with her daughter.
“I fell in love with Louise’s stunning book when I read it in proof,” comments Anderson. “I was immediately drawn to the tragi-comic creation that is Gina and couldn’t resist when Louise asked me to play her. Reading Ailbhe’s brilliant scripts confirmed how vividly this story could translate to screen and with Dawn at the helm and Lola and Tom alongside, I’m delighted to be part of the Trespasses family.”
The drama comes from BAFTA award-winning and double Oscar-nominated Wildgaze Films (Brooklyn, An Education), in association with All3Media International who will be the show’s global partner. Adapted for the screen in her first lead writing credit by rising talent Ailbhe Keogan (Bad Sisters, Run & Jump) and based on Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Trespasses is a forbidden love story, set against the backdrop of the Troubles.
“I am genuinely excited for the world to meet Cushla and Michael on screen,” adds screenwriter Keogan. “The whole scripting process has been remarkably pain-free as the team was guided by their love of Louise’s stunning novel. It remained our creative lodestar throughout. We feel incredibly grateful to have been gifted the chance to bring the world within it to life, especially the unforgettable characters that populate Cushla and Michael’s Belfast. This show will be political, cinematic, sensual, moving, and, despite the heartbreak, ultimately hopeful.”
‘Trespasses’ was commissioned by Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Head of Drama and Gwawr Lloyd, Senior Commissioning Editor for Channel 4. Amanda Posey (Brooklyn, An Education) executive produces for Wildgaze Films. Gillian Anderson, Dawn Shadforth, Louise Kennedy and Finola Dwyer also executive produce. The producer is Maria Mulhall (The Night Caller, The Dry).
‘Trespasses‘ does not yet have a premiere date, but will air on Channel 4 in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add it via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
