Adrian Lester and John Simm are to star in a Trauma, new three-part ITV drama from multi award-winning playwright and dramatist, Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, The Town).
Former Hustle star Lester will star as family man Jon Allerton, a well-educated, confident and high achieving trauma surgeon while Simm plays Dan Bowker, a factory manager struggling to cope as his life unravels around him.
The three-part psychological thriller also stars Rowena King as Lisa Allerton, a successful psychiatrist, wife of Jon and mother of their 18-year-old daughter, and Lyndsey Marshal as Susie Bowker, Dan’s hard-working wife and mother of his three children, Alex, Catherine and Mark.
The lives of two fathers collide when Dan’s 15 year-old son Alex is stabbed and tragically dies in the trauma department attended by high-achieving consultant Allerton.
Devastated, heartbroken and pushed to the edge, Dan believes Jon is responsible for Alex’s death. As he strives for justice, Dan begins to unpick the very fabric of Jon’s life as his own unravels in the wake of Alex’s killing.
Producer, Catherine Oldfield, who developed the show with Mike Bartlett, said: “We are delighted to have such a fantastic cast, led by John and Adrian, to bring this gripping modern British story to the screen for ITV.”
Mike Bartlett added: “I wrote Trauma knowing we needed, and hoping we’d get, hugely talented actors for the roles.
“But this cast has exceeded expectations. I’m a huge fan of all of them individually and can’t wait to see them on screen together.”
ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill said: “Mike Bartlett’s brilliant new contemporary drama, Trauma, is a moving and powerful story about a father who loses his son, and the surgeon who tried to save him.
“I am delighted that John Simm and Adrian Lester are to play the two men at the heart of this drama.
“Mike’s incredible scripts take the two men on an intense, emotional and complex journey and John and Adrian will be magnificent. It will be a real treat for our audience next year.”
Filming begins in next month in and around London.