Samantha Morton to star in BBC One’s adaptation of Cider With Rosie

Cider With Rosie is one of the gems of 20th century literature, and has been loved by generations as a coming-of-age story about love and family that still rings true today.Lucy Richer, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama Commissioning

Date: 13.10.2014 Last updated: 14.10.2014 at 13.37

Category: BBC One; Drama; Commissions and casting

Golden Globe winner and two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (The Unloved, Longford, In America) has been cast as Annie Lee in Cider With Rosie, which is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe (Call The Midwife, Five Daughters) and adapted by Ben Vanstone (Merlin, The Borrowers, EastEnders). It is produced by Origin Pictures and will air on BBC One next year as part of its season of classic 20th century literature.

Jessica Hynes (W1A, Twenty Twelve, Spaced) plays Miss Crabby; June Whitfield (Absolutely Fabulous, Last Of The Summer Wine, Boomers) plays Granny Wallon and Annette Crosbie (One Foot In The Grave, Little Dorrit, What We Did on Our Holiday) plays Granny Trill. Billy Howle (Glue, New Worlds, Vera) takes on the role of Private James Harris.

They are joined by a host of young acting talent, including newcomer Archie Cox as the protagonist Laurie (Lol), Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as the titlular Rosie and Emma Curtis as Marj.

A vivid memoir of Laurie Lee’s childhood, Cider With Rosie is an evocative coming-of-age story, set in an idyllic Cotswold village, during and immediately after the Great War. Marking the journey of young Lol as he grows from boy to man, the story chronicles first love, loss and family upheaval. Lol’s boyhood escapades take place in a rural world as yet untouched by electricity and cars - a place suspended between history and modernity.

Samantha Morton says: "I am thrilled to have taken on the role of Annie Lee in BBC One’s adaptation of Cider With Rosie as it is one of my favourite books."

Ed Rubin, Head of Film and Television, Origin Pictures, says: “We are thrilled to be bringing Laurie Lee's classic and much cherished memoir to the screen, with such a terrific cast of top British acting talent and exciting new discoveries. The combination of Ben's vibrant adaptation and Philippa's inimitable direction will make this new version of Cider With Rosie a real treat for BBC One next year.”

Lucy Richer, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama Commissioning, adds: “Cider With Rosie is one of the gems of 20th century literature, and has been loved by generations as a coming-of-age story about love and family that still rings true today, in Laurie Lee’s centenary year. We are delighted to be bringing it to BBC One with a fantastic young cast, alongside the wonderful Samantha Morton.”

BBC One’s season of classic 20th century literature will also include Adrian Hodges’ adaptation of The Go-Between, Jed Mercurio’s adaptation of DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and J B Priestley’s classic play An Inspector Calls. The season of films aims to explore and contextualise the enormous changes in the way men and women lived and behaved in the 20th century. They all tell uniquely intense and personal stories about people living in Britain 100 years ago.

Cider With Rosie has begun filming in Gloucestershire and will air in 2015. David Thompson and Ed Rubin are the executive producers for Origin Pictures and Lucy Richer for the BBC. Helen Gregory is producer.

The season was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC Drama.