Following her performance in Starz’s “Howards End,” Hayley Atwell is starring in another period piece, this time alongside “King Charles III’s” Tamara Lawrance. Deadline reports that the two lead BBC’s upcoming miniseries “The Long Song.”
Penned by “Small Island” and “Becoming Jane” co-writer Sarah Williams, the three-part series follows July (Lawrance), a 19th century slave in British-ruled Jamaica. Following the end of slavery in 1838, July “goes from being a slave to the mother of a gentleman.” The series follows her life and her relationship with her mistress, Caroline Mortimer, who is played by Atwell.
“Requiem” helmer Mahalia Belo is directing.
Exec producers include Williams, Andrea Levy, Rosie Alison (“Testament of Youth”), and BBC’s Elizabeth Kilgarriff.
“The Long Song’s” ensemble cast also features Doña Croll (“EastEnders”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Ayesha Antoine (“Chewing Gum”), Joy Richardson (“Children of Men”), and Madeleine Mantock (“Charmed”). “Requiem” helmer Mahalia Belo is set to direct.
“July relishes mutiny with wit and courage; finding ways to win in spite of her circumstances,” Lawrance said. “She also rings true to Jamaica’s national heroes — Nanny, Paul Bogle and Sam Sharpe — who, by standing up for their own humanity, shifted world history. I believe stories like these illuminate the legacy of slavery in relation to where we are today. It’s all still relevant.”
Atwell added, “Audiences will fall in love with the story’s remarkable heroine, July, who endures on-going abuses of power with dignity and poise, surviving injustices that were devastatingly prevalent during this time and place in history. It is a story that demands to be told.”
Belo received a Breakthrough Talent BAFTA for “Ellen,” a 2016 TV movie. Her 2012 short “Volume” was named Best Short at the British Independent Film Awards. Her latest series, “Requiem,” is available on Netflix.
Lawrance’s background is mostly in English theater, most recently performing as Viola in National Theatre Live’s “Twelve Night.” She is also featured in BBC’s “King Charles III,” a TV movie based on Mike Bartlett’s play of the same name.
In addition to “Howard’s End,” “Agent Carter” alumna Hayley Atwell stars alongside Ewan McGregor in Disney’s “Christopher Robin,” which hits theaters August 3. She is currently filming Gurinder Chadha’s “Blinded by the Light,” which follows a Muslim boy growing up in England in the 1980s.
