First-look picture: Keeley Hawes in ITV’s The Durrells

The_DurrellsITV has marked the first day of filming for its adaptation of Gerald Durrell’s trilogy of Corfu memoirs by releasing this on-set picture of Keeley Hawes in her role as Louisa Durrel.

The six part The Durrells is filming in Corfu and is based on Durrell’s acclaimed set of books, including the much loved My Family and Other Animals.

The story focuses upon Louisa Durrell (Hawes) whose life is in meltdown. Her husband died years ago and his money has all but run out.

Her four unruly ‘children’ Larry, 21, played by Josh O’Connor (Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders), Leslie, 18 (newcomer Callum Woodhouse), Margo, 17, played by Daisy Waterstone (Silent Witness, Testament of Youth) and Gerry, 11, played by Milo Parker (Mr Holmes, Ghosthunters), are going off the rails.

Gerry is obsessed with animals and about to be thrown out of school; Larry is a would-be novelist but the worst estate agent in Bournemouth, and the middle two are hitting adulthood like a car-crash. It is the 1930s, and a woman’s options are limited.

Louisa realises she can carry on struggling, marry someone comfortably off but oppressive, or make a radical change and escape… from a domestic pressure-cooker, British weather, uptight Englishness and narrow horizons.

This is a rescue mission to somewhere her family can heal itself before it’s too late.  So, they uproot and move to Corfu…

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