Lady Worsley is coming to the BBC.
BBC Two has given the greenlight to The Lady In Red, a one-off factual drama about Lady Seymour Worsley starring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Shaun Evans (Endeavour) and Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen), TVWise has learned.
The Lady In Red is a courtroom drama which tells the “untold” story of Seymour Worsley, who finds herself in a trial brought by her husband Sir Richard Worsley after she decides to leave her troubled marriage and elope with her husband’s best friend Captain George Bisset.
Natalie Dormer, best known for her role as Margaery Tyrell on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will lead the cast in the role of Lady Seymour Worsley; while Endeavour star Shaun Evans will play her husband Sir Richard Worlsey; and Aneurin Barnard, whose previous credits include The White Queen and Moonfleet, has been cast as Captain George Bisset, who elopes with Lady Worlsey.
The 90 minute factual drama was written by David Eldridge and is based on the book ‘Lady Worsley’s Whim’ by Hallie Rubenhold, which also served as the inspiration for a full length oil painting of Lady Worsley that hangs in Harewood House in Yorkshire. It hails from Wall to Wall Media, with Madonna Baptiste set as the producer, while Eleanor Greene and Leanne Klein are serving as executive producers. Sheree Folkson is directing.
“It’s terrific to add The Woman in Red to BBC Two’s powerful tradition of creating factual dramas, from The Challenger to Wipers Times, which bring to life remarkable true stories”, said BBC Two Controller Kim Shillinglaw. “It is an almost unbelievable tale of a woman – Lady Seymour Worsley – whose audacity and risk-taking stood against the currents of her time, and I’m delighted to have attracted such strong talent both on and off screen to make it.”
“It’s a privilege to tell this incredible story for the BBC, about a truly brave woman who bucked convention to be with the man she loved”, added Wall To Wall’s Eleanor Greene. “We are excited to have Sheree Folkson directing – and to be joined by such a stellar cast is testament to the vivacity of David Eldridge’s clever screenplay.”
