James R | On 02, Jun 2020

BBC One will relive The Salisbury Poisonings this June with a star-studded new drama.

The three-part factual drama, written by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, focuses on the impact the 2018 Novichok poisonings had on the local community, after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench.

The drama tells the story of how ordinary people and public services reacted to a crisis on their doorstep. Salisbury captures the bravery, resilience and, in some cases, personal tragedy of the unsuspecting locals, who faced a situation of unimaginable horror so close to home.

Leading the esteemed cast is Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, His Dark Materials) as Tracy Daszkiewicz, Director of Public Health for Wiltshire Council, who realises the potential danger and locks down the town’s main sites but, when CCTV footage shows the Skripals have been all over town, she fears the entire city centre could have been infected with an unidentified toxin. She is joined by Rafe Spall (The War Of The Worlds, Denmark) as DS Nick Bailey (Rafe Spall), who decides to investigate the Skripals’ home, but soon after returning to work begins to feel ill.

Meanwhile, Dawn Sturgess (MyAnna Buring) is furious at herself for missing a planned trip to the playground with her daughter. As her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley (Johnny Harris), comforts her, she vows to turn things around. Other cast members include Mark Addy (Game Of Thrones, Downton Abbey), Annabel Scholey (The Split, Britannia), Ron Cook, Stella Gonet, Faye McKeever, Kimberley Nixon and Duncan Pow.

The series will air across three nights on BBC One, from 14th to 16th June. Here’s the trailer:

 

Anne-Marie Duff, Rafe Spall to star in BBC Two’s Salisbury

10th November 2019

Anne-Marie Duff and Rafe Spall will star in BBC Two’s Salisbury.

The three-part factual drama, written by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, focuses on the impact the 2018 Novichok poisonings had on the local community. The drama tells the remarkable story of how ordinary people and public services reacted to a crisis on their doorstep, displaying extraordinary heroism as their city became the focus of an unprecedented national emergency.

Salisbury captures the bravery, resilience and, in some cases, personal tragedy of the unsuspecting locals, who faced a situation of unimaginable horror so close to home.

Leading the esteemed cast is Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, His Dark Materials), who is joined by Rafe Spall (The War Of The Worlds, Denmark), Mark Addy (Game Of Thrones, Downton Abbey) Annabel Scholey (The Split, Britannia), Johnny Harris (This Is England ‘86, Jawbone) and MyAnna Buring (The Witcher, Ripper Street). Additional cast include Ron Cook, Stella Gonet, Faye McKeever, Kimberley Nixon and Duncan Pow.

The series is produced by Dancing Ledge Productions. Filming is now underway.

 

BBC Two orders new drama about Salisbury poisonings

18th May 2019

BBC Two has ordered a new drama based around the 2018 Salisbury poisonings.

The factual drama will focusing on the impact of the Novichok poisonings on the community, telling how ordinary people reacted to a crisis on their doorstep, displaying extraordinary heroism as their city became the focus of an unprecedented national emergency.

The drama is written by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, and produced by Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC Two.

They say: “We feel extremely privileged to be telling this story. Extensive, meticulous research is at the heart of how we like to work and we’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of Salisbury who have opened up to us over the past few months and continue to do so. This is an extraordinary story full of ordinary heroes, the tale of how a community responded to an inconceivable event.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, who commissioned the two-part series, says: “BBC Two plugs into contemporary issues and dilemmas of the modern world, and has a rich history of exploring true stories from different perspectives in a sensitive and considered way. The poisonings in Salisbury shocked the nation and had a huge impact on an unsuspecting community. This drama will capture the bravery, resilience and personal experience of the local people who faced a situation of unimaginable horror, so close to home.”

Salisbury is a Dancing Ledge Production for BBC Two. It is Executive Produced by Chris Carey (Les Miserable, Apple Tree Yard) and Laurence Bowen (The Eichmann Show, Delhi Crime) for Dancing Ledge Productions, Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, and Lucy Richer for the BBC.

Bowen adds: “This is the story of the poisonings in Salisbury that hasn’t been told – the story of a community living through the real life horror of an invisible threat that could and did kill without warning, a story of tragedy but also of resilience, and pride. It’s a real privilege to be involved in its telling.”

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