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Line of Duty star Martin Compston’s new drama Mayflies sounds seriously good 

The star will be joined by After Life actress Ashley Jensen 

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
August 25, 2022
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Martin Compston is set to star in a new Scottish drama for BBC, and we can’t wait to tune in! Mayflies, which also stars Outlaw King actor Tony Curran and Extras star Ashely Jensen, is based on the novel by Andrew O’Hagan about two best friends. 

MORE: Inside Martin Compston and wife Tianna's wedding on 240-acre Scottish estate

The official synopsis reads: "Everyone has a Tully Dawson: the friend who defines your life. In the summer of 1986, in a small Scottish town, Jimmy and Tully ignite a brilliant friendship based on music, films and the rebel spirit. 

WATCH: See the trailer for Martin Compston's drama Our House

"With school over and the locked world of their fathers before them, they rush towards the climax of their youth: a magical weekend in Manchester, the epicentre of everything that inspires them in working-class Britain. There, against the greatest soundtrack ever recorded, a vow is made: to go at life differently. Thirty years on, half a life away, the phone rings. Tully has the worst kind of news, and a request that will test their friendship, love, and loyalty to the limit." 

tony curran

Martin stars alongside Tony Curran

Speaking about the series, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor Gaynor Holmes said: "We’re incredibly proud to continue the BBC’s longstanding commitment to showcasing the very best of Scotland and Scottish talent with this distinctive new drama. Mayflies is an intimate and devastating portrait of male friendship that manages to be both life-affirming and heartbreaking, and we’re delighted to have assembled an outstanding lead cast and creative team to bring it from page to screen." 

MORE: Line of Duty star Martin Compston hits out at false claims about his family

READ: Line of Duty's many acronyms debunked

Screenwriter Andrea Gibb added: "Adapting Andrew O’Hagan’s magnificent novel has been one of the highlights of my career. Andrew tells his story of enduring male friendship with love, truth, tenderness and searing humanity. There’s not an ounce of sentimentality. It’s very funny and deeply moving. The characters of Tully and Jimmy are instantly recognisable and totally unforgettable. Both are so alive and vibrant they leap off the page. It’s been a joy and a privilege living with them.”

The two-part series is set to be filmed in Glasgow and Ayrshire this autumn, so although there is no release date just yet, watch this space!

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