Anna Maxwell Martin, Tom Ward for re-imagining of Frankenstein myth

ITV has confirmed a stellar cast for new six-part period crime-drama, The Frankenstein Chronicles.

Set in Georgian London in 1827, Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Accused) leads the cast as Inspector John Marlott, who discovers the body of a dead child washed up on the shore and on further examination of the corpse, he is horrified to discover it’s not actually a child but rather a crude assembly of body parts arranged in a grotesque parody of a human form.  The mutilated child-like body leaves an indelible impression on Marlott and he finds himself unable to shake off the memory of what has happened that fateful night.

Tom Ward (Silent Witness) plays coldly efficient Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel, who recruits Marlott to track the perpetrator of this heinous crime, insisting the “details of your investigation must remain confidential.” As he investigates, Marlott discovers that what he’s dealing with is more horrific than he could possibly have imagined.

Also starring in the drama is Anna Maxwell Martin (The Bletchley Circle), Charlie Creed-Miles (Ripper Street), Ed Stoppard (Cilla), Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons), Hugh O’Conor (Chocolat), Joe Tucker (Bronson), Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones), Lalor Roddy (Hunger), Patrick Fitzsymons (Game of Thrones) and Richie Campbell (Waterloo Road). Robbie Gee (Snatch), Ryan Sampson ( Plebs), Samuel West (Mr Selfridge), Shaun Mason (Cilla), Steve Wilson (Game of Thrones), Steven Berkoff (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Stuart Graham (The Fall) and Vanessa Kirby (About Time).

The Frankenstein Chronicles is produced by Rainmark Films for ITV Encore; created by Emmy nominated director and writer Benjamin Ross and writer Barry Langford.

ITV’s Director of Drama, Steve November said: “The Frankenstein Chronicles is an epic re-working of one of literature and cinema’s most iconic stories. We’re delighted to be working with Benjamin Ross, Barry Langford and the team at Rainmark Films with the vision to bring Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein back to life.”

The drama’s co-creator Benjamin Ross (Poppy Shakespeare) said: “Marlott’s investigation takes him into the dark corners of Georgian London. He discovers an underworld of prostitution, drug smuggling, bodysnatching, and murder for profit. The rational evidence points first one way and then another as he contemplates a terrifying and irrational alternative.”

The Frankenstein Chronicles will begin filming in Northern Ireland from 26 January 2015.