Nightsleeper release date, cast and filming locations for BBC crime drama

Sleepera new thriller created for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, is coming to our screens soon.

The six-part series is set on a “hijacked” train travelling overnight from Glasgow to London.

Created by Bafta-winning writer Nick Leather, the cast includes Alexandra Roach (The Light in the Hallway) as Abby Aysgarth, Acting Technical Director at the National Cyber ​​Security Centre (NCSC) and Joe Cole (London Gangs) as Joe Roag, a police officer who is a passenger on the train.

“Part fast-paced, thrilling action adventure and part twisty whodunit, it’s a rollercoaster drama where no one is quite who they seem,” the promotional statement reads.

“There’s a small crew working the night shift alongside Abby and a handful of passengers left on the train with Joe, but are they all as innocent as you think? Who can they trust? Who can we trust? Are there people on board who know more than they’re letting on?”

When is Nightsleeper on?

Sleeper premiere in Sunday 15 September at 9pm on BBC One.

Consecutive episodes will air every Sunday and Monday at the same time – see below:

• Sunday 15th September at 9pm
• Monday 16th September at 9pm
• Sunday 22nd September at 9pm
• Monday 23 September at 9pm
• Sunday 29th September at 9pm
• Monday 30th September at 9pm

Additionally, all episodes of Sleeper will be available to view on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 15 September.

Who is in the cast of Nightsleeper?

Joe Cole as Joe Roag

Cole plays Joe Roag, an off-duty detective who unexpectedly becomes involved in what is believed to be a hijacking situation on a long-distance train traveling from Glasgow to London.

The London-born actor rose to fame as Luke in Skinsbefore playing John Shelby in Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2017.

In 2017, he starred in “Hang the DJ”, an episode of the fourth season of Charlie Brooker Black Mirror, earning a Bafta nomination for Best Actor.

For his role in A Prayer Before DawnCole won the award for Best Actor at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards.

He described Sleeper as “so much fun” to do.

“I hope the audience tries to put themselves in the shoes of the characters in the series and try to see who they would be within that group of people,” he said.

“We all want to hope that we can be the one who gets up, runs in and saves the day, but would we really do that?”

Alexandra Roach as Abby Aysgarth

Abby plays the acting technical director of the National Cybersecurity Center and is one of the first people to be alerted when things start happening on the train.

The Welsh actor is best known for appearing in Channel 4 dramas Utopia and No offense.

She also appeared in Human being, Inside #9, Black Mirror and Killing Eve.

And most recently, she starred in the Netflix mystery Bodies and unique factual drama Men up.

Speaking about her role, Roach said: “When I read the scripts, I could really hear Abby’s voice, which I had never heard before.

“I loved how fearless she was. She’s working class with this spiky energy and I knew I needed to be the voice of that character.

“She’s an underdog, while being in charge of this whole operation as Acting Technical Director at the National Cyber ​​Security Centre, and I loved that contrast. I really related to that pressure of wanting to succeed, having people around her doubt her and having her prove them wrong.”

She continued: “I wanted to stand out and prove myself as well. I’ve been acting since I was a kid, for the last 20 years or so, so to finally get the chance to stand out and front a big BBC show felt really important.”

David Threlfall plays Paul Peveril

Eccentric outsider Paul Peveril once worked alongside Abby at the NCSC, but left the company under ambiguous circumstances. His experience is something Abby wants to draw on during the crisis, however.

Manchester-born Threlfall is best known for playing chaotic patriarch Frank Gallagher in the hit Channel 4 series Shamelesswhere he also directed several episodes of the show.

The stage and screen star also played comedian Tommy Cooper in the TV movie Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like this. Cinematographic work includes the thriller Black Sea alongside Jude Law, Nowhere Boy and Hot Fuzz.

In 2022, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in Martin McDonagh’s play Executioners.

Parth Thakerar plays Saj Sidhu

Thakerar plays Saj, a colleague of Abby’s at the NCSC.

Viewers may recognize Thakerar as JJ in the comedy series Brassico. Stage roles include performances at the Royal Exchange Theatre and the National in Macbeth and The importance of being honest.

Other credits include Vigil, London Gangs and Grantchester.

Pamela Nomvete plays Nicola Miller

Nomvete plays Abby’s boss, who authorizes her to deal with the crisis on one condition: not to contact Paul Peveril.

The Ethiopian-born South African/British actor studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

In the 1990s, she rose to fame on the South African soap opera Generations.

Since then, she has appeared in Coronation Street, Without Sin and London Gangs.

In 2005, she won the FESPACO Award for Best Actor for her performance in the 2004 film Zulu Love Letter.

Ruth Madeley plays Chrissy Doolan

Madely plays a passenger on the runaway train.

Madeley was nominated for a Bafta Award for Best Actress following her performance in the 2015 TV film Don’t Take My BabyThe following year, she was named one of Bafta’s 18 British Newcomers.

Other roles include Russell T Davies’ Years and Yearsthe BBC drama When Barbara met Alan, Brassico and The Cleaner.

Most recently, she appeared as UNIT’s science advisor, Shirley Ann Bingham, in Doctor Whoa role she will reprise in season 15 and the spin-off The War Between Land and Seaone.

Other cast members include:

• James Cosmo as Fraser Warren (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, The Durrells, Highlander)
• Katie Leung as Rachel Zhu (The Nest, Run over, The Peripheral, The Wheel of Time)
• Scott Reid as Billy McCloud (Line of duty, White House Farm, Carnival Line)
• Sharon Rooney as Yas Brown (My crazy fat diary, Two Doors Down, Barbie, The Tunnel)
• Alex Ferns as Arran Moy (The devil’s hour, The Batman, Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire, EastEnders)
• Daniel Cahill as Danny Geoghan (The control room, The Caretaker, Followers)
• Sharon Small as Liz Draycot (London kills, Lovers, The Mysteries of Inspector Lynley)
• Lois Chimimba as Erin Connolly (The Outlaws, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, A Discovery of Witches)

Where is Nightsleeper filmed?

Recipient of funding from Screen Scotland, Sleeper was filmed mainly in the country.

Scenes were filmed in and around Glasgow, including Glasgow Central Station.

However, a large portion of the series was filmed in a studio on the outskirts of the city.

“We were confined to these little carriages for 10, 12 hours a day and they pre-recorded all the exterior shots of the train journey from Aberdeen to London on LED screens that were on the outside of the train,” said Joe Cole.

“I was often lucky enough to work in real environments, but that was all pretend, so it was a different way of doing things.”

Elsewhere, Alexandra Roach described what it was like to act over the phone for six episodes.

“It was really challenging, and it’s rare to shoot a show with your castmate and not physically see them,” she said.

“I was a little nervous about how it would work, but I know Joe a little bit, so that definitely helped.

“I created a system that worked for me, with a great Scottish actor, John Scougall, reading with me on set behind the camera. It was really helpful to have him there. That stillness and intimacy anchors Abby in the show and those moments feel like a refuge within the confines of this crazy situation.”