The highly anticipated four-part drama explores one of the most important issues of our time: the so-called Islamic State and the British men and women who leave their lives behind to join their ranks.

Based on extensive research, the series follows four young Brits as they travel to Syria to join the fight. Jalal (Sam Otto) persuades his best friend Ziyad (Ryan McKen) to join him as his follows his brother out to Syria. Single mum and junior doctor Shakira (Ony Uhiara) travels out with her nine-year-old son Isaac to offer her medical expertise to Isis, while teenager Ushna (Shavani Seth) sees it as her religious duty to join the fight following her radicalisation online.

They are shocked by the brutal realities of life in Raqqah, living through air strikes, and witnessing violent and bloody atrocities at the hands of the Islamic State regime. However, where some are brought to disillusionment and misery by their experiences, others of the four are inspired and revitalised in their commitment to the bloody war of the Caliphate.

The show is an attempt to understand why young men and women raised in liberal democracies lay down their lives to join Isis, says writer and director Peter Kosminsky. “Isis and its adherents have caused pain and suffering the world over... Based on detailed and extensive research, carried out over many months, The State is an attempt to grapple with these questions, to address through drama one of the month troubling issues of our age.”

Ahead of the launch of the show later this year, All 4 is re-releasing all of Kosminsky’s past work for the channel on their on-demand service including The Government Inspector, Blitz and the RTS award-nominated The Promise.

The State premieres on Channel 4 in August, and will be distributed globally by National Geographic.