Ridley Road thriller casts newcomers Aggi O'Casey and Tom Varey

23 September 2020

Aggi O'Casey and Tom Varey have been cast in new thriller 'Ridley Road'.

Tamzin Outhwaite

The upcoming four part BBC One series - which is based on Jo Bloom's novel of the same name with a script from Sarah Solemani - has gone into production with the newcomers joined by the likes of Rory Kinnear and Tamzin Outhwaite.

The story follows a young Jewish woman Vivien Epstein (O'Casey) who falls in love with a member of the 62 Group and rejects her middle-class live in Manchester to join the fight against fascism in London.

She is inspired by the coalition - a group of Jewish men standing up against neo-Nazism in post-war Britain - until she realises her missing boyfriend Jack (Varey) has been badly injured.

Tom commented: "I'm so proud to be working on such a powerful, beautiful, important story. The scripts are amazing, and I can't wait to bring them to life.

"I'm excited to be in the company of actors that I have looked up to and admired for so long."

Tamzin will play Barbara Watson, a hair salon owner where Vivien gets a job.

Meanwhile, Rory has been cast as Colin Jordan, the leader of neo Nazi movement NSM.

He said: "When I received the scripts from Red Production Company, I was already looking forward to working with them again.

"Sarah's scripts had me hooked and to work with so many interesting characters is something that was hugely appealing. I can't wait to get started."

Aggi added: "Sarah Solemani has blown me away with the detail, sensitivity, and complexity with which she has written Vivien. I can't wait to bring this vital and little-known story to life."

And writer Sarah herself said: "A young hairdresser from Manchester makes an unlikely hero in this little known slice of British history. But in these unprecedented times, it is the unlikely heroes whose stories are now worth telling.

"Britain's relationship with fascism is closer and more alive than we like to think. Fortunately, so too is our rich heritage of beating it. Honoured to bring the story of Ridley Road to the BBC and Masterpiece."