Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) leads the cast as Leigh, the head of the team of 'screws' formally known as prison officers, who has devoted her life to the all-male prison and its inmates. Working on an overpopulated wing and having to battle against broken bureaucracy and short-term thinking, Leigh works hard to keep her inmates in line and support them when they need it. However, to her work team, she remains an enigma, with her own dark secrets that could cost her more than her job if they were ever discovered.

Derry Girls star Jamie-Lee O’Donnell will play Rose, a 21-year-old trainee officer who is given a baptism of fire when she enters the pressure cooker prison environment. Also joining the cast as fellow ‘screws’ will be Faraz Ayub (Line of Duty) playing Ali, Stephen Wight (I May Destroy You) as Gary, Ron Donachie (Game of Thrones) as Don and Laura Checkley (King Gary) as Jackie.

With irreverence, humour and heart, Screw will tackle contemporary issues head on through its eccentric cast of characters.

Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick, said: ‘Screw offers the audience an insight in to the challenges and struggles faced behind bars for both prisoners and officers; told with humour, humanity and hope. I’m so excited for our brilliant, distinctive cast, led by the superlative Nina Sosanya, and I hope Jamie-Lee O’Donnell’s dramatic new role will her see fast becoming an iconic face of Channel 4.’

The series begins filming in Glasgow early this month.