Academy Award-nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter) stars in NOLLY, a three-part drama series that explores the all-powerful reign, and fall from grace, of the inimitable Noele Gordon – TV legend and Queen of the Midlands, the darling of the establishment, until it turned on her and betrayed her.
From BAFTA-winning writer Russell T Davies, NOLLY is a bold exploration of how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, the women it cannot understand and the women it fears. A legend in her own lifetime, Noele Gordon is the eponymous heroine portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter, the flame-haired widow Meg Richardson in the long-running soap opera Crossroads. One of the most famous people in Britain, Nolly was at the height of the show’s success and the peak of her fame, when she was axed without ceremony, without warning and with no explanation, and found herself thrown out of the show that was her life for over 18 years.
Helena Bonham Carter said: “She [Nolly] was fantastically multifaceted. She wasn’t easy, she didn’t suffer fools, so I can think she might have put peoples backs up. Nolly is also a bit of a MeToo story, but without the sex. It’s men in offices in suits deciding on what women should be doing, what they should be like, as Nolly says in the show… In light of Roe versus Wade, it is extraordinary how backwards some parts of the world are going or choosing to go. Maybe they’re terrified of the consequences of giving women too much power or just having an equal playing field.”
Augustus Prew (The Morning Show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) stars as Tony Adams, Nolly’s Crossroads co-star, devoted friend, confidante, and her occasional chauffer. Emmy and BAFTA-winner Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who) stars as inimitable entertainer Larry Grayson. Richard Lintern (Young Wallander, Silent Witness) is Ronnie Allen, who played suave hotel manager David Hunter. Antonia Bernath (Downton Abbey, Dickensian) is Jane Rossington, who starred as Meg’s daughter. Clare Foster (The Crown, The Ex Wife) is Sue Lloyd, who played the wife of hotel manager David. Chloe Harris (Sherwood, The Spanish Princess) is Susan Hanson, who played fan favourite Miss Diane. Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, It’s A Sin) is Paul Henry, who played handyman Benny. Bethany Antonia (House of the Dragon, Stay Close) stars as Poppy Ngomo, a young actor thrown into the world of Crossroads, Con O’Neill (Happy Valley, Uncle) stars as Jack Barton, producer of Crossroads, with Tim Wallers (The Windsors, Belgravia) playing Barton’s boss, and ATV’s Controller of Programming.
BAFTA-winner Peter Hoar (It’s A Sin, The Last of Us) directs, ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, oversees production and the series is executive produced by Nicola Shindler (It’s A Sin, Happy Valley, Queer as Folk), Russell T Davies and Peter Hoar. Series producer is BAFTA-winner Karen Lewis (The Salisbury Poisonings, Years and Years). The series is produced by Quay Street Productions, the first drama under Nicola Shindler’s new production banner with ITV Studios.
NOLLY premieres February 10 on FOXTEL On Demand
