An all-Irish cast join EastEnders’ Kat and Alfie for brand new BBC One drama series Redwater
An ensemble cast of some of Ireland’s best talent including Fionnula Flanagan (Lost, The Invention Of Lying, The Others), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Orphan Black, Dexter, The Commitments), Ian McElhinney (Game Of Thrones, The Fall), Angeline Ball (Shameless, The Commitments) Peter Campion (Brooklyn) and Stanley Townsend (The Hollow Crown, The Tunnel) will join EastEnders favourites, Kat and Alfie Moon (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie) for brand new six-part drama series Redwater.
Published: 12 April 2016
What an honour, to be in this unbelievable drama and working alongside some of Ireland’s finest actors.
They will be joined by Oisin Stack, Stephen Hogan, Susan Ateh, Ian Toner and Ebony O’Toole-Acheampong.
The series will be directed by multi-award winning Danish director Jesper Nielsen (Borgen, Through A Glass Darkly) and written by EastEnders’ alumni including Life On Mars creator Matthew Graham; Julie Dixon (Casualty, The Bill); Lauren Klee (EastEnders, Holby City) and Matthew Barry (Casualty, Banana, Death In Paradise). The series is produced by Vicky Wharton.
Redwater is a tiny, picturesque Irish harbour village, a quiet rural idyll by the sea where the Kelly and Dolan families have lived for generations. When Kat and Alfie Moon arrive in search of Kat’s long-lost son, Kat’s quest for the truth uncovers secrets that the village of Redwater would rather were left buried at sea.
Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Executive Producer, says: “It was our intention from the start to create a new contemporary ensemble drama set in Ireland, and we are so thrilled and lucky to have such a talented team on board for Redwater. It is testament to the quality of Jesper, Matthew and the other writers, as well as Vicky’s tenacity, that we have assembled such a high calibre of cast and crew to join Shane and Jessie in such a beautiful setting. We all know that we are creating something that is going to be very special.”
Director Jesper Nielsen says: "We have a really important and fantastic story to tell. About how one woman's search for a lost child opens a Pandora's box, revealing the terrible lies and secrets in the little village of Redwater. A story about how the strong bonds of love in a family can hold everything together, and yet at the same time destroy everything. It has echoes of a Shakespearean drama, told in a rich cinematic style, loaded with humour and suspense. I cannot wait to start shooting and see the characters coming to life.”
Matthew Graham, writer of episode one says: “When I was an EastEnders writer, Kat and Alfie were two of the most dynamic characters to write for. To revisit them and to transport them into a community riddled with secrets and lies was too good an opportunity to pass up. Kathleen Moon is an unwitting bomb in Redwater, and creating the debris from her explosive arrival is what drew me to this project.”
Fionnula Flanagan says: "This is a fascinating character, full of secrets, deceit and manipulation. My favourite! It's a wonderful story which will keep you guessing forever and ever. Great writing and a fabulous director.”
Jessie Wallace says: “I walked into the drama read-through to a table full of wonderful Irish actors and it was thrilling. They all made me feel so very welcome as we started to read the first script. It’s going to be a rollercoaster!”
Shane Richie said: “Wow! What an honour to be in this unbelievable drama and working alongside some of Ireland’s finest actors. At the moment it’s a whirlwind so I’m just getting into the new scripts, which are electric!”
Filming begins this week in Ireland, and Redwater will be broadcast on BBC One in 2017. Redwater is a six-part drama for BBC One made by BBC Grafton House Productions in association with Element Pictures. The Executive Producer is Dominic Treadwell-Collins for the BBC.
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