ITV has cast Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty) and international film star Leslie Caron (An American in Paris, Gigi) in their all-new adaptation of Gerald Durrell’s trilogy of Corfu memoirs, including the much loved My Family and Other Animals.
Adapted by acclaimed screenwriter Simon Nye, filming on the six part The Durrells will take place in Corfu from next month.
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…
Keeley Hawes said: “I’m delighted to be playing Louisa Durrell. As a life long fan of Gerald Durrell’s wonderful books, I can’t wait to start filming and telling his stories through Simon Nye’s hilarious and poignant adaptation.”
