Keeley Hawes has joined the cast of a new Cold War spy drama.

Keeley Hawes in Summer of Rockets

Keeley Hawes in Summer of Rockets

The 'Line of Duty' actress will appear alongside Toby Stephens, Linus Roache and Timothy Spall in the BBC Two programme, 'Summer of Rockets'.

The series, set in 1958, will be written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and see Toby's inventor character Samuel tasked with a secret mission of obtaining information about his new pals, including Kathleen (Keeley).

She said: "I have wanted to work with Stephen for years, so I'm delighted to be part of such a wonderful cast, and can't wait to spend the summer with them all."

Toby added: "It's great to be working with Stephen Poliakoff again after such a long time. I loved working with him on Perfect Strangers; he's such a unique and original voice in British television. It's also good to be filming something back home in the UK for the BBC. It's been a while."

Timothy (Lord Arthur Wallington) cannot wait to team up with the helmer once again after previously working together on 1999 movie 'Shooting the Past'.

He said: "I'm utterly delighted to be working with Stephen for the third time. As ever, the scripts are wonderful, the story is completely original and totally compelling and surprising, as is the gallery of fascinating characters.

"Stephen has assembled a fantastic cast as he always does. A few of whom I have worked with in the past, I'm greatly looking forward to being part of this wonderful and unique television drama."

Linus will portray Kathleen's MP husband Richard Shaw, and he has been impressed with the "shockingly relevant" nature of the historical drama.

He said: "I've been a huge fan of Stephen's work for many years so I'm thrilled to get to work with him and on such a brilliantly intricate exploration of Britain's struggle for identity in the 1950s.

"That might be 60 years ago now but Stephen's story provides a fascinating reflection of the kind of intrigue and mistrust we find ourselves in the midst of again in the world today. I love it when historical drama feels almost shockingly relevant."

'Bancroft' actress Lily Sacofsky will play Samuel's daughter Hannah, Lucy Cohu has been cast as his wife Miriam, Grantchester's Gary Beadle will take on the role of right-hand man Courtney, Line of Duty's Mark Bonnar will play Field, and Ronald Pickup is Walter.

Filming has started in London and Oxford.


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