Prison drama filming starts in Glasgow
Stars of Derry Girls, Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, Line of Duty and Game of Thrones are to film a hard-hitting new prison drama in Glasgow.
Nina Sosanya, Jamie-lee O'donnell, Stephen Wight, Faraz Ayub, Ron Donachie and Laura Checkley have all been cast in Screw, a six-part series Stvhasjuststartedmakingfor Channel 4.
Described as “prison as never seen before,” it has been createdbywriterrobwilliams,who had a huge hit with The Victim, a previous STV Productions drama which was made for BBC One.
Screw which is set in the all-male Long Marsh Prison, is partly inspired by Williams’ownpreviousexperience of working behind bars.
Screw,oneofseveralnewdrama series which has entered production in Scotland over the last few months, is billed as
“theuncensored,terrifyingand often darkly funny reality of life asaprisonofficerinanall-male prison in 21st century Britain.”
Sosanya, who has starred in Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, W1A, Doctor Who and Good Omen, will play the lead role of Leigh, the ringleader of a groupofguards,whoarejoined by new arrival Rose, played by O’donnell,bestknownforplayingmichelleinthehitirishcomedy Derry Girls.
Other guards are played by Faraz Ayub, whose previous credits include Line of Duty, Bodyguard and The Capture, Stephen Wight, who starred in the recent hit BBC drama I May Destroy You, Laura Checkley, star of Detectorists and King Gary, Ron Donachie, the Scottish actor who has played the Edinburgh detective John Rebus on stage and in audio book adaptations of Ian Rankin’s novels.
An official announcement on the casting of Screw states: “At the head of our gang of embattled
prison officer ‘screws’ is Leigh, a woman who has devoted her entire adult life to this prison and its population.
"On a wing bursting at the seams,atthefrontlineofatrainwreck of broken bureaucracy and short-term thinking, Leigh keeps her inmates in line and has their backs when they need it. But she’s an enigma to her team and has her own secrets that, if discovered, could cost her more than her job.
"Into the pressure cooker of Longmarshprisonentersrose, a 21 year old trainee officer. It’s
a baptism of fire even for this street smart young woman.”
Sarah Brown, creative director of drama at STV Studios, said: “We’re incredibly excited about the extraordinary group of actors we’ve assembled.
"Rob Williams’ compelling, hilarious and thought-provoking scripts couldn’t be in better hands. We can’t wait to see audiences falling in love with our brilliant prison officer ‘family’.
"Following our two most recent home-grown productions
– The Victim and Elizabethismissing-we’reespecially pleased to be shooting another drama in Scotland, and working once again with the wealth of creative talent behind the scenes here.”
Caroline Hollick, head of drama at Channel 4, s aid: “Screw offers the audience an insight into the challenges and struggles faced behind bars for both prisoners and prison officers; told with humour, humanity and hope.”