Starring Zawe Ashton, Hayley Squires and Daniel Mays, the 30-minute adaptation explores the damaging culture of violence against women.

The play was first shown at the Royal Court in 2021 after Kirkwood felt compelled to write it following the murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard. 

The adaptation will be directed by Kirkwood and documentary maker Brian Hill.

Ashton and Squires play two everyday women, both called Mary, who have a chance meeting at a police station following their respective sexual assaults. 

A cast of furies show the injustices women face every day both in the play and in the wider world. 

Lucy Kirkwood commented: “I wrote the original play as a howl against the way we have normalised violence against women as something to be accommodated by women themselves, rather than protested by all of us. Against the way that women, especially women of colour, cannot at present even rely on the forces of law and order to protect or respect their bodies. 

“Against the recent deaths of women including Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman and Sabina Nessa in particular, and the anxiety and fear which we culture girls to expect and accept in general.

“I hope the film will give new oxygen to that protest, but I wish it was not still such an urgent conversation.”

Maryland will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 20 July at 10pm.