Further cast members have been announced for Red Production Company’s new 3-part drama The Driver.
Written by Danny Brocklehurst (Clocking Off, Exile, Shameless USA, The Accused) and starring David Morrissey, it will be shooting on location in Manchester this week.
Morrissey will be acting alongside Ian Hart, which is the first time they’ve appeared together since their performance in One Summer. Colm Meaney will also take up his first UK acting role since police drama, Strangers in 1982. They’ll be joined by Sacha Parkinson (Coronation Street), Claudie Blakeley (What Remains, The Nightwatch), Shaun Dingwall (Charles II: The Power and the Passion, Above Suspicion) and Lee Ross (Eastenders, Dramarama).
It’s about a bored taxi driver, Vince, played by Morrissey, who catches up with an old friend, who’s just been released from prison. As Vince reveals how terrible his life is, his friend introduces him to someone who will change his life forever.
The drama has been co-created by Brocklehurst and Jim Poyser and is a co-production between Morrissey’s new production company, Highfield Pictures and Red. It will be directed by Jamie Payne (Doctor Who, The White Queen, The Hour).
“The Driver is a passion project for me and I’m proud of the way it is both a character drama and a thriller. As with all my work there is a strong emotional core and it explores ordinary lives pushed into extraordinary situations. I’m thrilled to be making such a powerful drama for BBC One. The majority of my work has been here and as writer you are given incredible authorship, which is a fantastic thing,” explained Brocklehurst.
“I have always wanted to work with Dave Morrissey, one of the UK’s finest actors, and I’m delighted to be finally getting the chance. The entire cast is amazing and it is a privilege to have them on board.”
The 3×60 minute series was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, controller BBC One and Ben Stephenson, controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.
“We’re really excited with the cast we’ve assembled and we are going to make something original, funny and thrilling at the same time. This feels unlike any other script we’ve worked on because of the clever combination of real, family human dilemmas tied into high-end thrills,” said Red Production Company’s founder and executive producer Nicola Shindler.
It is produced by Jolyon Symonds and executive produced by David Morrissey for Highfield Pictures, Nicola Shindler for Red Productions and Polly Hill, BBC Head of Independent Drama for BBC One.
