Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire to star opposite Ben Whishaw in Netflix drama - and it looks amazing
Are you a fan of Happy Valley? Sarah Lancashire is set to star in a new Netflix drama – and we can’t wait to see Catherine Cawood herself in a whole new role! The streaming platform announced the very exciting news that Sarah would be joining Paddington star Ben Whishaw and Pride and Prejudice’s Keira Knightley for Black Doves. Find out more…
According to Variety, Black Doves is set in London at Christmas and follows Keira as Helen Webb, a spy who has been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the Black Doves. However, when her lover Jason is assassinated, Helen’s life is turned upside down and only her old friend Sam can keep her safe, as the pair set out to find out why Jason was killed. Sarah is set to star as Helen’s spymaster, Reed.
The synopsis reads: “Together, they set off on a mission that will lead them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy. One that links the murky underworld of London to a looming geopolitical crisis — and leads them to question the cost of the moral choices they’ve made.”
Filming has already kicked off for the new series, and stars Carnival Row actor Andrew Buchan, It’s a Sin star Omari Douglas, and Robin Hood’s Sam Troughton.
Speaking about the new drama, showrunner Joe Barton said: “I started writing the scripts for this show over last year’s Christmas holidays, fuelled by turkey sandwiches and discarded bottles of cream liquor.
“To be now going into production with a cast and crew full of people whose work I admire so much is unbelievably exciting and I couldn’t be more thrilled to get to see this show come to life.”
Sarah’s role as Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley was critically acclaimed, but the star tends to stay out of the public. Speaking to The Telegraph back in 2018, she said: “I was on the concourse at Manchester Piccadilly station. And I heard someone shouting my name.It was horrific, absolutely horrific. It felt like this total violation."
She added: "I've learnt that it's possible to be as anonymous as you want. It's a choice, and I've become very, very good at being anonymous."
