Earlier this year, it was announced This Is England writer and director, Shane Meadows would make his BBC Drama debut with his adaptation of Yorkshire novelist Benjamin Myers’ award-winning novel The Gallows Pole.
The novel is based on a true story of a gang of 18th Century counterfeiters who came to be known as the Cragg Vale Coiners.
The series will be based on the 2017 novel of the same name, which fictionalises the true story of 18th-century ironworker David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners. Hartley assembled his team of crooks to produce counterfeit coins.
The Gallows Pole will feature Michael Socha who has appeared in This Is England alongside Thomas Turgoose who is also a part of Meadow’s new production’s lineup. Other names include 1917’s George MacKay, Sophie McShera, Tom Burke, Cara Theobold, Yusra Warsama and Eve Burley.
Mr Meadows, who wrote and directed the series, said he has enjoyed working with critically acclaimed actors and “oodles of incredible as yet undiscovered Yorkshire-based talent”.
“I’ve not been this passionate about shooting a project in years…
“After some initial rehearsals back in spring, me and the team went on an open-casting odyssey, watching over 6,500 self-tapes from unrepresented actors and actresses, and were blown away by the quality of tapes that were submitted.
“We went from hoping to find one or two new faces, to making up half of the entire cast from those tapes and I believe it’s going to create a series quite unlike anything else I’ve ever worked on.
“This is the 18th century yes, but viewed through a slightly more anarchic lens and will – like my previous work – have a soundtrack that fits the mood like a psychedelic glove, rather than historical expectations.”
