To mark the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act, the film will tell the true story of the activists who waged an unstoppable campaign for disabled civil rights in Britain.

Madeley said: “To have the opportunity to play such an incredibly powerful character and tell such an important story is honestly a dream, especially within the context of disabled, deaf and neuro-diverse history.

“As soon as I saw the script I knew this was going to be something so special and I am couldn't be happier to work with Jack and Gen on a drama that deserves to be front and centre on screen.”

Written by the RTS Award-winning Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) and actor-turned-writer Genevieve Barr (The Silence), the film follows disabled cabaret performers Barbara Lisicki (Madeley) and Alan Holdsworth.

The two met at a gig in 1989 and eventually joined forces to form the Direct Action Network, a group who organised civil disobedience, rallies and protests for disabled rights.

Bruce Goodison (Doctor Foster) and Amit Sharma (Crip Tales) will direct the series.

Thorne said: “Ruth Madeley is one of those rare actors who take scripts and turns them into something else. She does things with words and makes human and fragile, even the smallest thing like putting on a kettle.

“I emailed two people when I was offered the chance to tell this incredible story - one was Genevieve and the other was Ruth. We wrote every word for her and we love her and I’m so excited to work with her again.