Cast announced for BBC One’s The Moonstone

John Thomson (Cold Feet, The Fast Show) and Sarah Hadland (Miranda, The Job Lot) will lead the cast of The Moonstone – a brand new adaptation of Wilkie Collins’s beloved mystery novel coming to BBC One Daytime.

Thomson will play the legendary Sergeant Cuff, with Hadland as the pious and unwittingly hilarious Miss Clack.

Described by TS Eliot as “the First and Greatest of English Detective novels”, The Moonstone sees the charismatic adventurer Franklin Blake on the most important quest of his life – to solve the disappearance of the priceless Moonstone and win back Rachel Verinder, his one true love. Brilliantly combining adventure with romance and some of British literature’s finest characters, this classic mystery’s twists and turns make The Moonstone the perfect treat for viewers.

Thomson and Hadland will be joined by rising stars of theatre Joshua Silver (Photograph 51, Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies) and Terenia Edwards (Hero’s Welcome, Five Finger Exercise) who make their television debuts in the central roles of Franklin Blake and Rachel Verinder – one of literature’s most enduring couples.

John Thomson said, “The Moonstone is a classic novel, and this has all the makings of classic TV. I’ve worked on a wonderful variety of projects over the years, but I’ve secretly always wanted to be part of a big BBC One costume drama. The Moonstone is exactly that and I’m incredibly excited to be in it.” Sarah Hadland added, “I am SO excited to be playing the fantastically named and appallingly behaved Miss Drusilla Clack…Rachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails have written a fabulous script and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this BBC production – bring on the bonnet!”

The five-part series will also feature Sophie Ward as Lady Verinder, Stewart Clarke as Godfrey Ablewhite, Leo Wringer as Betteredge, and David Calder as Mr Bruff, with further casting to be announced.

Dan McGolpin, Controller of BBC Daytime and Early-Peak, says: “The Moonstone spawned a new genre: the detective novel. Its influence endures to the present day, in books and on television…I’m thrilled that the production has attracted such a strong cast, a mix of well-known and up and coming actors, all incredibly talented. Our viewers are in for a treat.”

The Moonstone will broadcast over five consecutive afternoons on BBC One Daytime, with the first episode airing on Monday 31^st at 2:15pm. It is adapted for screen by Rachel Flowerday (Father Brown, EastEnders) and Sasha Hails (Versailles, Casualty) and made by King Bert Productions. The series will be directed by Lisa Mulcahy (Red Rock, The Clinic) and produced by Joanna Hanley (Billionaire Boy). The Executive Producers are Jo Sargent and John Yorke (King Bert) and Dan McGolpin (BBC).