The Stage

Richard E Grant and Gillian Anderson to star in BBC Two’s The Crimson Petal and the White

Published Thursday 12 August 2010 at 11:54 by Emma Powell

Richard E Grant, Gillian Anderson and Mark Gatiss are to star in BBC Two’s adaptation of Michel Faber’s best-selling novel, The Crimson Petal and the White.

The BBC described the four-part series, which will also star Romola Garai and Chris O’Dowd, as “a psychological thriller that will lift the lid on the darker side of Victorian London.”

BBC drama commissioning controller Ben Stephenson said: “A really fresh and surprising cast will bring this provocative tale to life, reinforcing the new ambition for drama on BBC Two.”

Filming has begun on the drama, which will be directed by Marc Munden, whose credits include The Devil’s Whore. Faber’s book has been adapted by playwright and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon, and will be made by Origin Pictures.