Neil Morrissey to join cast of Grantchester

Neil Morrissey is joining the cast of Grantchester, for the second series of the ITV drama, adapted from the novels of James Runcie.

Pictured here during his first week on set, alongside regular cast members James Norton and Robson Green.

Grantchester, which is set in the 1950s, follows an unlikely crime-fighting duo – the charismatic, charming clergyman Sidney Chambers (Norton) and gruff, down-to-earth Police Inspector Geordie Keating (Green).

Grantchester, which attracted a series average of 6.6 million viewers when it debuted in October 2014, is based on The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie.

Neil Morrissey will play Harding Redmond, a resident of Grantchester and grieving father whose teenage daughter Abigail (Grace Holley) is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Heartbroken and desperate to get to the bottom of what happened to Abigail, Harding accuses Sidney of having an inappropriate relationship with her. Sidney is determined to prove his innocence but will Harding’s accusations change the way the villagers feel about him?

Neil said of his new role: “I’m really excited to be joining the cast of Grantchester. It’s great to work with James Norton, Robson Green and the rest of the cast, and I can’t wait to film in the actual village of Grantchester, which I know is beautiful. I’m also happy to be sporting a funky fifties moustache, my first foray into top lip decoration since I started acting.”

Other new cast who will appear in the series include Claudie Blakley (Lark Rise To Candleford, The Driver), Nigel Planer (The Young Ones, Episodes), Andrew Knott (Black Work, The Driver), Nicky Henson (Downton Abbey, Vera Drake) and Oliver Dimsdale (Harley Street, He Knew He Was Right).

Grantchester is currently in production in London, Cambridge, and Grantchester and is due to return to our screens on ITV in 2016.

Can’t wait to find out more? Come along and listen to James Runcie talk about the books behind the series at Noirwich Festival this September.