Spooks and Last Tango In Halifax star Nicola Walker is set to start filming on her latest BBC One series, The Split.
The actress leads a cast which includes Meera Syal, Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Deborah Findlay, Annabel Scholey, Barry Atsma and Stephen Tompkinson.
Written by Abi Morgan, The Split is described as “an authentic, layered and witty exploration of modern marriage and the legacy of divorce” told through the lens of the Defoes family.
Esteemed divorce lawyer Hannah (Walker) quits the family firm when her mother Ruth (Findlay), formidable personally and professionally, refuses her promotion.
Landing at a rival firm alongside old flame Christie (Atsma), Hannah navigates scandalous affairs, big-figure settlements and fraught relationship battles – coming head to head with Ruth and impulsive sister Nina (Scholey) in the bitter divorce of Goldie (Syal) and multi-millionaire husband Davey (Tompkinson). Meanwhile, the marriage of younger sister Rose (Button) looms on the horizon.
When their estranged father returns after 30 years the sisters are forced to confront their past.
Facing the reality of her dad’s abandonment, and reconnecting with ‘the one who got away’ Christie, Hannah begins to question her relationships with the men in her life – including her seemingly contented marriage to the smart and affable Nathan (Stephen Mangan).
On being cast in the series, Walker said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Defoe family and walking in Hannah’s shoes as she picks her way through other people’s marriages and relationships, all the while questioning her own.”
The six-part series is the first drama from former Spooks producer Jane Featherstone’s new production company and will shoot on location in London.
