Matty (MICHAEL SOCHA); Leanne (SHERIDAN SMITH). Credit: BBC
The BBC has revealed first-look images and more casting news for The Cage, a new five-part crime drama set in a Liverpool casino.
It’s created by Tony Schumacher, the BAFTA-nominated writer behind The Responder, and produced by Element Pictures, known for Normal People and Poor Things.
Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha lead the series as Leanne and Matty — two casino workers who realise they’ve both been stealing from the same safe.
That discovery kicks off a tense game of survival involving a local gangster and the police.
Joining them are Barry Sloane (House of the Dragon) as Gary, Geraldine James (Dope Girls) as Nancy, Anton Bibby as Thomas, Freya Jones as Emily, Sophie Mensah (Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale) as Fen, Abby Mavers (Waterloo Road) as Kelly, Shaun Mason (Extraordinary) as Alan, Louis Emerick as Paul (The Power of Parker), Ian Puleston Davies (Tin Star) as Vincent, Julia Papp (Baptiste) as Irina, Katy Carmichael (Malpractice) as DCI Hannigan, Dave Hart (The Responder) as Danny, Eileen O’Brien (Not Going Out) as Nanna, Eithne Browne (The Responder) as Annie and Mona Goodwin (Extraordinary) as Trace.
The show’s directed by Al Mackay (Kidnapped, Without Sin) and was filmed across Liverpool and Merseyside.
The Cage will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer.
Tony Schumacher said: “Coming back to the BBC with my second major show and being able to work with such talents as Sheridan, Michael and the teams at Element Pictures and the BBC is such an honour.
“On top of that, having a director of Al’s calibre really is the cherry on the big Liverpool drama cake we’re baking together. I’m hoping people will find it funny, dark, but most of all full of love, life and entertainment and I can’t wait for the world to see it.”
