Men Up cast of new BBC One drama

Meet the full cast of Men Up, the brand new drama coming to BBC One this week.

The new feature-length show is inspired by the remarkable true story of one of the world’s first medical trials for the drug that became Viagra, held in Swansea’s Morriston Hospital in 1994.

A teaser shares: “Meurig Jenkins, Colin White, Tommy Cadogan, Peetham ‘Pete’ Shah and Eddie O’Connor all have one thing in common. Impotency. It’s affecting them in every aspect of their lives, as they are drowning in shame and silence.

“Left feeling as failures as men, questioning their manhood, and having attempted their own fixes to no avail, the group is presented with a lifeline: a place on a trial for an unknown drug thought to cure impotence led by the ambitious Dr Dylan Pearce with support from clinical nurse Moira Davies.

“As each man grapples with their own insecurities and hiding the truth from their loved ones – including their wives and partners Ffion Jenkins and Teresa Rigby who are also fighting their own battles – will this little pill be able to bring back their spark?”

Men Up cast

Here’s a full list of who’s on the cast of the one-off drama.

• Iwan Rheon plays Meurig Jenkins
• Aneurin Barnard plays Dr Dylan Pearce
• Alex Roach plays Ffion Jenkins
• Phaldut Sharma plays Peetham Shah
• Paul Rhys plays Tommy Cadogan
• Steffan Rhodri plays Colin White
• Mark Lewis Jones plays Eddie O’Connor
• Joanna Page plays Moira Davies
• Alex Riley plays Alys Shah
• Nathan Sussex plays Rhys Lancey
• Lisa Palfrey plays Teresa Rigby
• Katy Wix
• Dyfan Dwyfor
• Huw Huckstep plays Gruff
• Philippa Cole plays Ceri Howell
• Raphael J. Bishop plays Llewellyn

Writer Matthew Barry said: “Who knew that one of the first Viagra trials in the world took place in 1994… in Swansea! I’m beyond delighted to be working with Nicola, Russell, and the entire team to bring this extraordinary tale to the screen. People hear the word impotence, and they wait for the punchline. But this story is about so much more. And with an incredible Welsh cast, led by Iwan Rheon and Alexandra Roach, I can’t wait to bring it to the screen.”

Men Up airs on BBC One on Friday, 29 December 2023 at 9PM. The feature-length, single drama will also be available on BBC iPlayer.