Cast revealed for new BBC One drama Dope Girls

Casting has been revealed for new BBC drama Dope Girls.

Coming to BBC One and iPlayer, Dope Girls has been created and written by multi-award winning writer Polly Stenham (That Face, Julie, Neon Demon) and Alex Warren (Eleanor) and is inspired by a forgotten time in history when, after the losses of World War One, the streets of Soho were home to female gangs running the clubs, drugs and moonshine.

Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown) stars as Kate Galloway, a single mother who establishes a nightclub in the vibrant post-World War One London. Driven by the goal of providing for her daughter Evie, portrayed by Eilidh Fisher (The Power), Kate embarks on a life of criminal activities.

In the series, Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) plays Violet Davies, an early female officer of the Metropolitan Police. Violet is tasked with going undercover to investigate the clandestine world of underground Soho nightclubs. Here, she encounters Billie Cassidy, a charismatic bohemian dancer played by Umi Myers (Bob Marley: One Love), whose life is profoundly affected by Kate’s arrival.

The cast also includes Geraldine James (Silo) as Isabella, the matriarch of the criminal Salucci family. The family’s members are portrayed by Rory Fleck Bryne (This Is Going To Hurt) as Luca Salucci, Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses, Am I Being Unreasonable?) as Damaso Salucci, Eben Figueiredo (The Serial Killer’s Wife) as Matteo Rossi Salucci, and Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper) as Silvio Salucci.

Also on the cast are Michael Duke (Get Up Stand Up) as Eddie Cobb, Ian Bonar (I May Destroy You) as Sgt Frank Turner, Laura Checkley (Screw) as Sarah Fisher, Will Keen (His Dark Materials) as Frederick Asquith-Gore, Fiona Button (The Split) as Sophie Asquith-Gore, Harry Cadby (Everything Now) as Jimmy Conville, Nabhaan Rizwan (Informer) as Silas Huxley, Priya Kansara (Polite Society) as Lily Lee and Jordan Kouamé (Malpractice) as Reggie Regbo.

Jane Tranter said: “Dope Girls is quintessentially Bad Wolf. A viscerally thrilling drama that rides through the underbelly of organised crime in the early 20th Century with a uniquely female point of view. Polly and Alex’s visionary fictional take on Soho is as audacious as the world it portrays.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “We can’t wait for viewers to discover the bold and brilliant Dope Girls. Packed full of complex and electrifying characters from a fascinating time in Britain’s history, this will be must-see, ambitious drama.”

A release date is to be announced.