THE BABY: MICHELLE DE SWARTE TO STAR IN NEW SKY COMIC HORROR

Sky and HBO have announced the casting of actor and comedian Michelle De Swarte (The Duchess) in the darkly comic horror, The Baby, from debut screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (Kaos, Sex Education).

Michelle De Swarte plays Natasha, who is the friend who’s never made long-term plans. So when she is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes.

Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. And as she discovers the true extent of its deadly nature, Natasha makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of the baby. But while she doesn’t want a baby, the baby wants her. Making her acting debut Amber Grappy plays Bobbi, Natasha’s younger sister, a children’s magician and a ball of joy. Bobbi is everybody’s favourite. There is nothing Bobbi wants more than to be a parent, to give love and to receive it. She couldn’t be more different to Natasha if she tried. So when Bobbi sees her sister with the thing she wants most in the world – a baby – she is blinded by jealousy and unable to see the danger they are all in.

Michelle De Swarte said: "Natasha is an emotionally arrested, flawed and 100% relatable character that I find it hard not to fall in love with as I read through the scripts. To be able to play someone I not only understand but am rooting for is a dream come true. Siân has written someone with depth, honesty and an authenticity that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching. I feel extremely blessed to be working with so many kick ass women on a project that is deliciously female centred."