BBC2 to adapt Death And Nightingales by Eugene McCabe

As reported by Radiotimes, actor Jamie Dornan – best known for his role in the Fifty Shades of Grey film series – will star in a new Victorian drama, penned and directed by Allan Cubitt.

Dornan will appear alongside Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Ann Skelly (Red Rock) in Death and Nightingales, adapted from Eugene McCabe’s book of the same name.

Taking place in one 24-hour period in 1885 and set in the Irish countryside, the three-part drama for BBC2 sees Beth Winters (Skelly) trying to escape her limited life and protestant stepfather Billy (Rhys) with the charming Liam Ward (Dornan).

But don’t expect a happy journey. As the BBC describes in the show’s synopsis: “As decades of pain and betrayal finally build to a devastating climax, Death and Nightingales is a powerful and gripping drama that follows a woman struggling to control her own destiny and will illuminate tensions that tear both families and nations apart.”

The BBC haven’t committed to an air date, but they have confirmed filming will begin in summer in Northern Ireland.