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Sheridan Smith (“Cilla,” “The C Word”) and Michael Socha (“The Gallows Pole,” “Showtrial”) are set to star in new BBC drama “The Cage,” written and created by Tony Schumacher (“The Responder”)
The series is being produced by the Fremantle-owned Irish banner Element Pictures (“Poor Things,” “Normal People”) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One and is described as a “high-stakes, high energy” crime story set within the world of a Liverpool Casino with “two unforgettable characters at its heart.”
“The Cage” follows Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha), who discover they are both robbing from the safe at the inner-city casino they work in, and realise their lives are set on a collision course; with each other, the local gangster they’re stealing from, and the police. The five-part thriller will be directed by Al Mackay (“Kidnapped,” “Without Sin”) and shot in and around Liverpool and Merseyside in the U.K.
“Coming back to the BBC with my second major show and being able to work with such talents as Sheridan, Michael and the teams at Element Pictures and the BBC is such an honour,” said Schumacher. “On top of that, having a director of Al’s calibre really is the cherry on the big Liverpool drama cake we’re baking together. I’m hoping people will find it funny, dark, but most of all full of love, life and entertainment and I can’t wait for the world to see it.”
Christopher Aird and Hilary Martin, Element Pictures and Fremantle executive producers: “Tony writes characters from the heart that break your heart, and we’re thrilled Sheridan and Michael are going to be playing Leanne and Matty. ‘The Cage’ is a crime show, a show about family and a love story of sorts. It is by turns funny, poignant, thrilling, and sad; we know Al Mackay will bring his love of real-world characters to tell Tony’s story with verve and energy.”
“The Cage” is an Element Pictures (a Fremantle company) production and was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. Martin serves as executive producer for Fremantle, Aird, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures alongside Schumacher and Smith. Lucy Richer serves as executive producer for the BBC and Clare Shepherd will produce. Global sales will be handled by Fremantle.
“‘The Cage’ is character-driven, hugely entertaining and full of heart, and I’m delighted that Tony has chosen the BBC to be the home of his second series following on from the success of ‘The Responder,’” said Salt. “With Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha leading the cast, Al Mackay directing and the team at Element Pictures producing, viewers are in for a treat.”
