Cast announcement for ITV drama, ‘The Great Fire’

Andrew Buchan, Rose Leslie, Charles Dance, Jack Huston and Daniel Mays to star in new ITV four-part drama, The Great Fire.

Made by Ecosse Films and written by Tom Bradby, the story will unfold over four consecutive days and follows humble baker Thomas Farriner played by Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, Garrow’s Law), and his fabled involvement in The Great Fire of London in 1966.

The story will also explore Thomas Farriner’s family life at the bakery in Pudding Lane, the playboy King’s extravagant lifestyle, and Farriner’s complex relationship with his fictional sister in law, Sarah played by Rose Leslie (Utopia, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey).
 
Diarist Samuel Pepys, a close confidante of the King will be portrayed by Daniel Mays (Mrs Biggs, Treasure Island, Public Enemies) and his wife Elizabeth is played by Perdita Weeks (The Invisible Woman, Flight of the Storks).
 
Jack Huston (American Hustle, Boardwalk Empire, Parade’s End) plays the role of King Charles II, whilst Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Dracula, Mr Selfridge, World Without End) is his brother, James Duke of York.  Andrew Tiernan (Ripper Street, Foyle’s War, Prisoner’s Wives) plays prisoner Vincent, a forgotten soul languishing in Newgate prison, whilst Antonia Clarke (Lightfields, A Mother’s Son) is Frances Stewart. 
 
Other key roles include Lord Denton, an emissary of the King’s, to be played by Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Secret State) whilst the Duke of Hanford, the most powerful Catholic nobleman in the land will be played by David Schofield (Da Vinci’s Demons, Land Girls, The Shadow Line) and Sonya Cassidy (Vera, The Paradise, Endeavour) takes on the role of The Queen.  
 
Douglas Rae (Fleming, Mistresses) and Lucy Bedford (Mistresses, Lie with Me) will executive produce the drama for Ecosse Films with Gina Cronk (The White Queen, Wolfblood) producing.   Jon Jones (Lawless, Mr Selfridge) is directing the drama.
 
Executive producer, Douglas Rae said: “In 1666 London was the greatest city in the world with a population of 300,000.  In just four days The Great Fire destroyed nearly half the city and threatened the monarchy.”

Adding: “It’s a fascinating premise for a drama and creates the perfect backdrop for Tom Bradby to be at his most creative.  We have assembled an amazing cast and production team and we’re looking forward to filming Tom’s fantastic scripts.”
 
The first three episodes of the drama is written by successful novelist, Tom Bradby (Shadow Dancer – film/novel, Blood Money, The God of Chaos – novels), based upon existing historical knowledge with fictional stories cleverly interwoven. Writing partnership Chris Hurford (Doc Martin, Ashes to Ashes) and Tom Butterworth (Doc Martin, Ashes to Ashes) have written episode four.  

17th century London will be recreated on location in Kent, Surrey, Oxfordshire and central London.  Pyrotechnics and special effects, as opposed to CGI, will create the fire sequences as London burns.

The Great Fire begins filming in March 2014 for nine weeks.