EXCLUSIVE: Adult Material star Siena Kelly has boarded BBC Three witch drama Domino Day, as the show’s EP Laurence Bowen spotlights his indie Dancing Ledge’s work with new writers.
Domino Day, which comes from first-time writer and Dancing Ledge Writer in Residence (WIR) Lauren Sequeira, is an irreverent drama about modern dating in which the protagonist uses dating apps to hunt, rather than find love.
Kelly, who was BAFTA nominated for her role in Channel 4’s Adult Material, will play Domino, a powerful young witch who is haunted by her need to feed on the energy of others, a hunger that only grows, despite her attempt to start her life over in Manchester. She is desperately seeking a community who can help her understand her feelings but, unbeknownst to her, she is being tracked by a coven of witches.
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Kelly is joined by up-and-comers Babirye Bukilwa (We Hunt Together), Poppy Lee Friar (In My Skin), Alisha Bailey (Call the Midwife), Molly Harris (Industry), Sam Howard-Sneyd (Clarity and Chaos), Percelle Ascott (The Innocents), Christopher Jeffers (Rocketman), Jonah Rzeskiewicz (Death on the Nile) Maimuna Memon (Sherwood) and Kris Hitchen (Trigger Point) for BBC Three’s latest big scripted bet, which is filming in Manchester.
BAFTA-nominee Sequeira is a new writer with a “great love of the supernatural but who has a lot to say about identity, sex and dating in the real world,” Bowen explained to Deadline.
“Supernatural shows often live in their own worlds but this is very much set in contemporary Manchester,” he added. “We’re all trying to own our own witch, or, in other words, own our own identity.”
Sequeira was Fremantle-backed The Responder producer Dancing Ledge’s WIR several years ago and she is the first alumnus to have a show greenlit by a network.
“Poster girl”
Bowen described her as “the poster girl” for the residencies and revealed Starstruck star Emma Sidi will be taking up this year’s program. “She’s best known as an actress but, as we’ve just discovered, Emma is an amazing new writer who will be spending the year with us,” said Bowen.
Over the past couple of years, Dancing Ledge, which saw hit Martin Freeman-starring BBC drama The Responder scoop six BAFTA TV nominations yesterday, has carefully nurtured a reputation for blooding the next generation of British scribes.
The indie’s last six greenlit shows have come from new writers: BBC quadruple Domino Day, The Responder, The Salisbury Poisonings and Crossfire, Disney+’s Wedding Season and Channel 4 comedy Big Mood (working title).
The secret, according to Bowen, is finding writers who are “tapping into their own truths.” He flagged the likes of Salisbury Poisonings creators Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, who used to be investigative journalists for BBC Panorama, and The Responder’s Tony Schumacher, who is a former policeman.
The idea for the WIR program emerged from Bowen’s time working in theater.
“I was always struck by how theaters had this real culture and community presence in addition to simply putting on good work,” he added. “I wanted to set up a company to replicate that sort of culture.”
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