The BBC thriller Nightsleeper boasts an intriguing premise. Penned by BAFTA award-winning writer Nick Leather, the six-part series follows Joe Roag, an off-duty police officer who finds himself at the centre of a national disaster.
After boarding a train travelling from Glasgow to London, Joe quickly discovers that it's been hijacked by hackers. Teaming up with Abby Aysgarth (Roach) – the acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre – Joe and Abby must work together to stop the train, and identify the self-styled 'Driver' behind the attack.
Putting a fresh spin on the detective thriller, Nightsleeper is a must-watch thanks to its gripping plot, and immensely talented cast, which includes Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders stars. Meet them here…
Meet the cast of Nightsleeper
© BBCJoe Cole
Leading the cast is Peaky Blinders favourite, Joe Cole. Among his most recent projects, the actor has appeared in The Ipcress File (2022) and A Small Light (2023). Speaking about his role as unlucky cop Joe Roag, the rising star said it was "a lot of fun" shooting Nightsleeper.
Reflecting on his character's arc, he told the BBC: "Joe is a great leader of teams and a galvaniser of people although, at the beginning of this, he is a lone wolf. Gradually, he learns to cooperate and work with everybody else – he realises that if not everybody is on board, pardon the pun, then he's not going to be able to stop the train."
© BBCAlexandra Roach
Alexandra Roach steps into the role of Abby Aysgarth, the acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre. "When we first meet Abby, she's about to switch her phone off, forget about everything at work and go on holiday with her best friend. It's the first holiday she's taken in years," the Welsh actress explained.
"Just as she's at the airport about to check in for the flight, she gets a phone call to say: Hang on, there's something dodgy going on, you might want to take a look. Abby has a spidey sense, she's always one step ahead of everybody. She feels something's not right and she needs to be across it."
Alexandra, 37, has continued to make her mark on television and is best known for her roles in Sanditon (2019), Viewpoint (2021) and Bodies (2023).
© BBCRuth Madeley
Ruth Madeley plays Chrissy Doolan – a lawyer and fellow passenger on the train. You may recognise her from series 15 of Doctor Who, in which she portrayed Shirley Ann Bingham, a role that she'll reprise in The War Between The Land and the Sea in 2025.
© BBCJames Cosmo
Game of Thrones actor James Cosmo appears as former railway worker and passenger, Fraser Warren. Boasting an extensive list of credits, James has featured in Sons of Anarchy (2010), Shetland (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2022) and Six Four (2023).
© BBCKatie Leung
Katie Leung is internationally recognised as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films. Following the conclusion of the franchise, the Scottish star has bagged main roles in Annika (2021), Arcane (2021-24) and The Peripheral (2022). This time around she's playing Rachel Zhu, a passenger frustrated by delays to her train journey.
