Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright is back with a new series, Riot Women, and if the recent cast announcement is anything to go by, we are in for a huge treat. The upcoming show, which will air on BBC and BritBox internationally, is currently being filmed in West Yorkshire, with Sally claiming that she is "more excited about this than anything else [she has] ever written". Find out more…
It has been confirmed that Slow Horses star Joanna Scanlan, Serpent Queen’s Rosalie Craig, Episodes Tamsin Greig, Sherwood star Lorraine Ashbourne and Happy Valley actress Amelia Bullmore are set to play a group of misfits who come together to form a punk-rock band. Amelia’s involvement will mark the fourth time that she has worked with Sally, having starred in Scott and Bailey as DCI Gill Murray, in Happy Valley as Vicky Fleming and in Gentleman Jack as Eliza Priestley.
The official synopsis reads: "In Riot Women, we dive headfirst into the world of five women who, along with two riotous backing singers, come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song, soon discover that they have a lot to say - and this is their way to say it.
"As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything.
"The six-part series is a testament to the power of friendship, music, and the resilience of women who refuse to be silenced by age or expectation. As the story (set in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire) progresses, it’s more than music that binds them; a deeply potent, long-buried secret begins to surface – one that unexpectedly entangles Kitty and Beth, the two unlikely creative masterminds behind the band, in a complex triangle - and threatens to tear everything apart."
Speaking about the show, Sally said: "I think I am more excited about this than anything else I have ever written. Ever. Oh my God. We have five of the most fabulous actresses on the planet playing the Riot Women. It's scarily exciting."
Director of BBC Drama Lindsay Salt added: "We can’t wait for viewers to meet the Riot Women when they arrive on the BBC next year. Sally’s scripts are magnificent even by her standards, and it’s no surprise that they’ve attracted such a stellar cast to bring this one-of-a-kind band and their vibrant world to life."
The six-part series will air in 2025, and also stars Last Tango in Halifax star Anne Reid, Beyond Paradise’s Peter Davison and Outnumbered's Claire Skinner as well as many more recognisable faces.
Praising Sally’s script, Drama Republic CEO and executive producer Roanna Benn said: "Led by the inimitable and incredible Sally, Riot Women is timely and vital, as well as riotously entertaining and deeply emotional. And it stars and is being made by a phenomenal group of women absolutely in their prime! We cannot wait to share it with everyone."