Banks’ tale of love, loyalty and vengeance for new drama

Peter Mullan (Top Of The Lake), Gary Lewis (Filth), Sharon Small (Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Christian Cooke (Demons) and Charlotte Spencer (Glue) are to star in a new two-part dramatization of Iain Banks’ 2012 novel, Stonemouth for BBC One Scotland and BBC Two.

The drama, co-produced by BBC Scotland/Slate North, focuses on the character of Stewart Gilmour played by Christian Cooke, who returns to the fictional village of Stonemouth for his best friend’s funeral. Run out of town a year earlier by girlfriend Ellie Murston’s (Spencer) criminal family, Stewart is forced to face up to his own past whilst uncovering the sinister truth behind his friend’s apparent suicide.

Peter Mullan plays Ellie Murston’s father Don, the no-nonsense head of Stonemouth‘s most notorious criminal family. Sharon Small plays Don’s wife and Ellie’s mother, Connie, with Gary Lewis as local businessman Mike MacAvett.

The rite-of-passage tale also stars, Brian Gleeson (Snow White & The Huntsman), Joy McAvoy (Filth), Adam Robertson (Coronation Street), Kevin Mains (Cilla), Jack Greenless (Suspects), Gerard Miller (Short History Of Confetti), Gilly Gilchrist (River City), Chris Fulton and Naomi Battrick (Blood).

Christopher Aird, BBC Scotland’s Executive Producer on Stonemouth, says: “I am so pleased some of the best acting talent in the country will be appearing in Stonemouth. The scripts are really strong and we are very excited to be bringing Iain Banks’ novel to the screen in 2015.”

Andrea Calderwood, Slate North, adds: “I’m delighted that such a fabulous cast is joining us for Stonemouth – with David Kane’s great scripts and such a strong creative team, it feels like we will be doing Iain Banks proud.”

Written by David Kane (The Field Of Blood, Prime Suspect) and directed by Charles Martin (Run, Wallander and A&E’s US remake of The Returned),

Stonemouth will film in locations around Scotland from the end of October 2014 and will air in 2015.