The star-studded cast for RTS-Award winner Shane Meadows’ upcoming period drama The Gallows Pole has been confirmed by the BBC.
Based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole fictionalises the remarkable true story of the biggest fraud in British history, conducted by the enigmatic David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners in 18th century Yorkshire. Set against the backdrop of the incoming industrial revolution, David Hartley assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy.
Michael Socha (This Is England) will lead The Gallows Pole as Hartley, which will also star: Thomas Turgoose (This Is England), George MacKay (1917), Tom Burke (The Souvenir), Sophie McShera (Downton Abbey), Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey), Yusra Warsama (Catle Rock), Eve Burley (Secret State), Nicole Barber Lane (Hollyoaks), Samuel Edward-Cook (Peaky Blinders), Anthony Welsh (Master Of None), Joe Sproulle (The A Word), Adam Fogerty (Legend), Fine Time Fontayne (How We Used To Live) and a host of first-time actors.
On the star-studded cast, Shane Meadows commented: “Putting this cast together, with the undying support of Shaheen Baig and her amazing team, has been an absolute joy. To be working with actors I’ve grown up with and/or have been desperate to work with, alongside oodles of incredible ‘as yet’ undiscovered Yorkshire-based talent, is an absolute honour and I’ve not been this passionate about shooting a project in years!
"This is the 18th century yes, but viewed through a slightly more anarchic lens and will - like my previous work - have a soundtrack that fits the mood like a psychedelic glove, rather than historical expectations.”
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, added: “Shane’s talent for spotting and working with the newest and most authentic talent is second to none and will play a key role in setting this drama apart. It’s an honour to be working with Shane, our friends at Element, and our partners at A24, to see this amazing story start to come to life.”
Produced by Element Pictures (Normal People) and A24 (Euphoria), the six-part series is currently filming in Yorkshire and Nottingham.
