First look at award-winning playwright Bash Doran’s adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s celebrated novel Life After Life.
The stellar line up of Thomasin McKenzie, Sian Clifford, James McArdle, Jessica Brown Findlay and Jessica Hynes will lead the cast of the four-part drama, directed by Bafta Award-winning director John Crowley.
They are joined by Patsy Ferran (Black Narcissus), Harry Michell (Yesterday), Laurie Kynaston (The Trouble With Maggie Cole) Joshua Hill (Small Axe), Maria Laird (Derry Girls) and Sean Delaney (Killing Eve).
Thomasin McKenzie plays Ursula Todd, who is born to Sylvie and Hugh (Sian Clifford and James McArdle) one night in 1910, but dies before she draws her first breath.
On that same night in 1910, Ursula is reborn and survives. Time and time again, living and dying in different circumstances, Ursula is reborn into a new, alternative iteration of life once more.
This compelling story follows Ursula as she navigates each new life, through a critical era which spans two world wars, an encounter with Hitler and major life events. But what is it that Ursula so desperately needs to stay alive for?
Can a perfect life ever be lived? Can the course of history ever be changed? Can Ursula save the world?
Thomasin McKenzie says: “I'm drawn to Life After Life because it makes me laugh, cry, clench my fists in anger or whoop with empowerment. Bash has done a stunning job at adapting Kate Atkinson's masterpiece, and working with John has already taught me a great deal - reinforcing my love for collaborating and creating.”
Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell, executive producers for House Productions, say: “We feel extremely lucky to have worked with John Crowley and Fiona Weir to assemble such a very special cast - some of the UK’s most talented actors for this wonderful story of Ursula Todd’s many fascinating, joyful, traumatic, amusing and surprising lives. And in Thomasin, we have found our perfect heroine for Bash’s beautiful scripts. With her luminous intelligence, she brings an extraordinary maturity to this part.”
Life After Life is a 4x60” and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022.