SUMMERWATER: CASTING ANNOUNCED AND FIRST LOOK AT NEW CHANNEL 4 DRAMA

Channel 4 has announced Emmy award-winning Dougray Scott (Crime, My Week with Marilyn), Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones, Harry Potter), and Valene Kane (Blue Lights, Gangs of London) will lead the cast of compelling Scottish drama, Summerwater.

The six-part drama series has recently finished filming in Scotland, with other cast members including Arnas Fedaravičius (The White Lotus S3, The Last Kingdom), Anna Próchniak (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Showtrial), Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror, Landscapers) and Gabriel Scott (Masters of the Air, House of The Dragon).

Summerwater has been adapted by screenwriter John Donnelly (The Pass, Utopia, The Assessment) and is directed by Robert McKillop (Guilt, Ludwig) and Fiona Walton (Rebus, Shetland). The series is the debut production from Glasgow headquartered indie, Freedom Scripted.

Set against the backdrop of a remote loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park, Summerwater looks at the simmering tensions between holidaymakers that eventually erupt into a devastating climax. 

Weaving together the lives of several families as they navigate unspoken conflicts, private dilemmas, and fleeting moments of beauty from their disparate cabins. The story flashes back to dramatic events in key characters’ lives before their holiday which may have consequences in the present.

John Donnelly, Screenwriter, says: “Sarah Moss writes with perception, compassion and wit about sex, love, and the dark impulses of the human heart. She is one of our most brilliant chroniclers of modern life. In Summerwater, Sarah has found the perfect environment to explore our secrets and desires – a rain-drenched holiday park in Scotland...

"Summerwater is at once an atmospheric mystery, a hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of identity and an existential thriller. I am delighted to be working with the brilliant team at Freedom Scripted to adapt Sarah’s wonderful novel for a broadcaster with such a pedigree for bold, ambitious drama.”

Mike Ellen, Executive Producer for Freedom Scripted, says: “Very few books come along as evocative, relevant and brilliantly drawn as Summerwater by Sarah Moss, let alone set a stone’s throw away from where I grew up!..

"We were thrilled to attach John Donnelly as screenwriter and true to form, he has delivered amazing scripts. I’m really excited to be working with such a talented producer as Jules and can’t wait to see what Robbie does with this. We all feel there couldn’t be a better home for the show than with Ollie Madden, Sarah Stack and the team at Channel 4 Drama.”

Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Head of Channel 4 Drama, adds: “Summerwater is both a subversive, compulsive, brilliantly characterized thriller, and a witty, dark exploration of modern British life – cleverly adapted from Sarah Moss’ excellent novel. We’ve loved working with John on the film side and are now very excited to be working with him, Robert and the brilliant team at Freedom Scripted on this unique show.”

More details will be announced in due course.