Game of Thrones and Spooks: The Greater Good star Kit Harington is to star in Gunpowder, a new three-part drama exploring the story behind the infamous Gunpowder Plot.
Often called Guy Fawkes Day, the plot was actually dreamed up by Robert Catesby a 30-year old Warwickshire gentleman and a committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecutes Catholics relentlessly.
Harington will star as Catesby , alongside Peter Mullan, Mark Gatiss, and Liv Tyler, in the drama which is being produced by Kudos and written by Ronan Bennett (Top Boy, Hidden).
Diederick Santer, Chief Executive Officer of Kudos says; “The Gunpowder Plot is one of the best known stories in Britain and most people are aware of the basic facts.
“But what Ronan has achieved with his page-turning script, and what I hope Kit and Peter and the rest of the magnificent cast will do, is to take the BBC One audience behind the story, into the people, the passion and the politics.
“This will be a hugely engaging drama with a fascinating contemporary resonance, showing the consequences of what can happen when a religious minority is persecuted.”
Piers Wenger, BBC Controller Drama Commissioning, says; “Ronan Bennett’s powerful scripts tells the visceral and resonant story behind the Gunpowder Plot and I couldn’t be more delighted that J Blakeson is on board to direct and that Kit Harington, Peter Mullan, Mark Gatiss and Liv Tyler will star. Gunpowder will be unmissable event television.”
