Sophie Winkleman cast in new BBC drama with True Detective star - and it sounds amazing
The BBC has announced the star-studded cast of its upcoming drama series, Wild Cherry – and it sounds incredible!
Eve Best (House of the Dragon) and Carmen Ejogo (True Detective) star in the series, alongside Imogen Faires (Marcella), newcomer Amelia May and Sophie Winkleman (Peep Show, Sanditon).
Penned and executive produced by Nicôle Lecky, the writer of the BAFTA-winning drama Mood, the six-part series follows two best friends, Lorna and Juliet, living in the privileged gated community in the Home Counties. But when their two daughters, Grace and Allegra, become wrapped up in a scandal at school, their friendship is put to the test.
Other cast members include Daniel Lapaine (Catastrophe), Hayat Kamille (Vikings: Valhalla), Isabelle Allen (Les Misérables), James Murray (The Crown), Jason York (Mood), Katrina Cas (The Wolf of Wall Street), Nathaniel Martello-White (The Winter King), Sonita Henry (Black Cake), Tara Webb (Phoenix Rise), Will Bagnall (A Thousand Blows) and Hugh Quarshie (Holby City).
The full synopsis reads: "Meet Lorna (Ejogo), a self-made, successful black businesswoman from South London who has worked hard to be where she is – and best friend Juliet (Best), a woman born into the privileged gated community they both call home. Daughters Grace (Faires) and Allegra (May) are BFFs and live a life other teenagers can only dream of. A safe haven for the super-rich and their little darlings, Richford Estate is a place where bad things never happen.
"Until, that is, Grace and Allegra are implicated in a shocking scandal at their exclusive private school and Juliet and Lorna are forced to take sides, pushing their friendship to breaking point. As toxic secrets and lies ripple through the idyllic town, cracks within the community threaten to reveal the elitist ugliness and betrayal beneath."
The series is billed as a "provocative and deliciously honest look at mother/daughter relationships in a haze of social media, hidden apps and peer pressure" and asks "how far will we go to protect our children? And just how much do teenage girls know about the women raising them? If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, then who is leading these girls astray?"
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The synopsis concludes: "'Like mother like daughter' rings loudly in a complex world, and danger is never far from the surface - even in a perfect town."
Filming is currently underway in Surrey.
Praising Nicôle's writing, Carmen said: "Nicôle brings a fresh and less explored UK perspective to her storytelling which resonates with me personally. I'm thrilled to be a part of Wild Cherry for the BBC."
Meanwhile, Eve described the script as "brilliantly dark". "After House of the Dragon, I wanted to plunge into something and someone very different from who I'd just been playing," said the actress, adding: "And Nicôle’s brilliantly dark script really keeps me on my toes, which I love."
Sophie, whose role has not yet been revealed, is perhaps best known for playing Big Suze in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, as well as Lady Susan in the period drama Sanditon. Some of her other screen credits include Strike, Endeavour, and This Is Going to Hurt. She's also a member of the royal family, having married Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael of Kent, in 2009.
