TWO BIRDS: SHERIDAN SMITH TO STAR IN NEW ITV AUSTRALIAN-SET MYSTERY THRILLER

ITV have commissioned Two Birds, an exhilarating mystery thriller, starring BAFTA award winning Sheridan Smith in the leading role, and set and filmed in Western Australia.

Written by Helen FitzGerald (The Cry) and directed by the BAFTA nominated James Griffiths (The Ballad of Wallis Island, Maternal, Episodes), Two Birds is a six-episode series and will feature an ensemble Australian cast including Judy Davis (Nitram, The Dressmaker) and Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader).

Set against the rarely-seen-on-screen landscape of Kalgoorlie, a remote Australian mining town carved from red earth, where rusted shafts and weatherboard pubs fade into endless bush, this harsh, beautiful, and isolating world clings tightly to its secrets.

The series centres on British Police Constable Izzie Cornwell, played by Sheridan Smith (I Fought The Law, No Return, The Teacher, BAFTA award winning for her role in Mrs Biggs) who arrives in the small fictional town of Dugdale having been recently widowed and intent on a fresh start and a new life in Australia.

Focused upon chasing away her grief, Izzie hopes to reconnect with her sister who moved to the Kalgoorlie area with her Australian husband, and most important of all, to rebuild trust with her twenty-year-old daughter, who is scared by her mother’s recent destructive behaviour. 

Izzie is assigned to investigate a murder alongside her new boss Matt, a Homicide Detective from Perth, played by Stephen Peacocke. When the victim is revealed to be part of a notorious local crime family, led by the formidable Mrs Baxter, played by Judy Davis, the stakes intensify. 

Determined to protect her family and uncover the truth, Mrs Baxter exerts fierce pressure on the case. But the night before Izzie joins the case, one reckless last hurrah goes disastrously wrong and a split-second decision results in consequences Izzie can’t undo, forcing her into a secret she must do everything to contain.

Sheridan Smith said: "I'm thrilled to be playing the irresistibly complex Izzie Cornwell who is in search of new beginnings in Australia. Helen FitzGerald has created a dream role for me, as Izzie, through no fault of her own, becomes embroiled in a web of secrets and lies. I'm also looking forward to returning to film in Australia and working with the team at AC Chapter One, ITV and STAN, Australia as we bring Two Birds to life."

ITV Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic said: "From the very first script, it felt like we’d struck gold with Two Birds. Built on an irresistible hook, Helen FitzGerald has crafted a propulsive, twisty thriller with real humanity.  Sheridan is perfect in the lead and brings her inimitable warmth and depth to Izzie.  We can’t wait for our audience to join her in Dugdale and see the extraordinary scale of the gold mine for themselves."

The series will executive produced by the BAFTA and Peabody Award winning Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs The Post Office; A Spy Among Friends) through AC Chapter One and produced by Martha Coleman (Scrublands: Silver) through Third Act Stories.

Commented Patrick Spence on behalf of AC Chapter One: "Helen FitzGerald has a voice any producer would kill for: unique, challenging and mischievous.  We are all so proud to be bringing her work to the screen.”

Filming will begin this Spring in Perth and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and will be the first to film in the brand-new Perth Film Studios.