“A woman who was so ahead of her time”

*Edited: Please note the drama has been renamed from The Woman In Red to The Scandalous Lady W.*

The Hunger Games Natalie Dormer, Endeavour‘s Shaun Evans and The White Queen‘s Aneurin Barnard will lead the cast of new BBC Two factual drama The Scandalous Lady W.

Set in 18th century England, the gripping 90-minute drama details the scandalous life of Lady Seymour Worsley (Dormer), a passionate, courageous woman who dared to leave her powerful husband Sir Richard Worsley and elope with his best friend Captain George Bisset (Barnard).

As a courtroom battle unfolds, a woman’s worth and material value as one of her husband’s possessions are called into question.

Natalie Dormer who plays Lady Seymour Worsley says: “I am thrilled to be playing a woman who was so ahead of her time. Though our story is set in the 18th century, it challenges and explores the issues still fully relevant today of freedom and equality. To be home in London shooting with such a talented ensemble in front and behind the camera is a real treat.”

Produced by Wall to Wall Media and written by award-winning writer David Elrington and based on Hallie Rubenhold’s book ‘Lady Worsley’s Whim’. The book is inspired by the full length oil painting of Lady Worsley that hangs in Harewood House in Yorkshire. She is depicted wearing a bright red riding habit.

Executive Producer for Wall to Wall Media, Eleanor Greene adds: “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. 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.”

The Scandalous Lady W will air in 2015 on BBC Two.