Meet the cast of Showtrial, BBC One's new legal drama
The new series comes from the makers of hit thriller Vigil.
New thriller Showtrial continues with its second episode on BBC One tonight, with viewers set to find out more about the events which led to privileged student Talitha Campbell (Celine Buckens) standing trial for the murder of fellow pupil Hannah Ellis (Abra Thompson).
It remains to be seen whether Talitha is actually guilty for the crime – but she certainly got off on the wrong foot with no-nonsense DI Paula Cassidy (Sinead Keenan) in the first episode, and she's not done herself any favours so far.
It will be up to solicitor Cleo Roberts (Tracy Ifeachor) to back her up, with court proceedings looming and increasing pressure from Talitha's powerful property developer father, Damian (James Frain).
If you found yourself reeling from the first instalment, our Showtrial episode one questions offer some ideas on the storylines to look out for ahead of tonight's episode.
Alternatively, if you're yet to tune in, our Showtrial review is here to help you decide whether the show is worth your time, with it being something of a mixed bag thus far.
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Read on for your complete guide to the Showtrial cast and characters – including where you might have seen them before.
Tracy Ifeachor plays Cleo Roberts
Who is Cleo Roberts? Cleo is the duty solicitor on call the night that Talitha is arrested and decides to take on the case despite mounting odds. She doesn't take any nonsense from her spoilt client and has a sharp strategic mind that might just be enough to prepare a solid defence – whether her client is innocent or not. Cleo has so far resisted attempts at intimidation from Talitha's father, who wants information and control over his daughter's case.
"To see a character who looks like Cleo lead a show was phenomenal and I couldn't believe it. And I'm so grateful to World Productions for writing such an amazing piece for someone like me to play and be a part of," said Ifeachor, in an interview with RadioTimes.com and other press.
"I hope that the next generation of children who look like me are able to see this and be proud... and really see themselves in a positive light and maybe even think, 'Hey, why don't I become a lawyer? Why don't I become a barrister? Why don't I become a solicitor advocate? I see them doing it, that looks like fun.'"
What else has Tracy Ifeachor been in? Ifeachor has bagged supporting roles in several US dramas, including The Originals, Quantico, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Jason Bourne spin-off Treadstone. Previously, she had also appeared in David Tennant's two-part Doctor Who swansong The End of Time.
Celine Buckens plays Talitha Campbell
Who is Talitha Campbell? Talitha is a university student and the spoilt daughter of a wealthy property developer. She is considered a suspect in the murder of fellow pupil Hannah, as they had exchanged threatening text messages in the days leading up to her disappearance at the end-of-year ball. She has an abrasive and arrogant demeanour that Cleo fears will not go down well with a jury.
Buckens teased that Showtrial will "subvert" our expectations for this kind of character, telling RadioTimes.com and other press: "You think you've got a clear cut situation, but actually you don't. Talitha comes from a really wealthy family, but also has an estranged relationship with her father and has supported herself through some sex work, so it's not clear-cut."
What else has Celine Buckens been in? Buckens got her breakout role in 2011 in the cast of Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of War Horse. She went on to secure recurring roles in Netflix original series Free Rein and US drama Warrior, based on an original concept by martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
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Sinéad Keenan plays DI Paula Cassidy
Who is DI Paula Cassidy? Cassidy is the lead detective investigating Hannah's disappearance, who takes an instant disliking to Talitha. She believes that the privileged teen knows more than she is letting on and is keen to see her behind bars, but she'll need sturdy evidence to convince the Crown Prosecution Service to move forward.
What else has Sinéad Keenan been in? Keenan previously worked with Showtrial co-star Tracy Ifeachor on Doctor Who two-parter The End of Time. Since then, she has gone on to major roles in Being Human and Little Boy Blue, the latter of which earned her a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actress. Most recently, she appeared in BBC One's hard-hitting drama Three Families, which aired across two nights in May 2021.
Kerr Logan plays James Thornley
Who is James Thornley? Thornley works for the Crown Prosecution Service and will need to give his approval for Cassidy to take her case against Talitha to a courtroom. He wants to see justice served but maintains a cautious approach, not wishing to present a flimsy case that could easily see the culprit walk free. He also has a history with Cleo Roberts.
What else has Kerr Logan been in? Logan plays Matthew Cunliffe in the BBC's detective drama Strike, which is based on the books by JK Rowling (under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym). In addition to roles in a recent adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and ITV's Victoria, he also appeared as Matthos Seaworth in HBO's epic fantasy drama Game of Thrones.
Christopher Hatherall plays DC Andy Lowell
Who is DC Andy Lowell? Lowell is Cassidy's police partner, who works alongside her to investigate the Hannah Ellis murder and is present for Talitha Campbell's interrogation.
What else has Christopher Hatherall been in? Hatherall's recent projects include Sky Atlantic's Britannia, BBC One's The War of the Worlds and 2016's Rillington Place.
James Frain plays Damian Campbell
Who is Damian Campbell? Damian is a property developer and the father of Talitha, whose ruthless business practices have given him a bad reputation among some. While his daughter seems to have genuine disdain for him, he remains determined to strong-arm his way into her ensuing legal battle.
What else has James Frain been in? Frain has had major roles in a number of popular television shows, playing Thomas Cromwell in The Tudors, Kevin Burris in HBO's True Detective, Azrael in DC's Gotham, and Ferdinand in sci-fi hit Orphan Black. Most recently, he has joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery in the recurring role of Sarek.
Joseph Payne plays Dhillon Harwood
Who is Dhillon Harwood? Dhillon is Talitha's childhood friend, who attended the same private school as her for a time and now shares a house with her at university. Over the years, he has frequently been drawn into her antics and schemes, which causes his mother to fear he could know something about Hannah's grisly fate.
What else has Joseph Payne been in? Payne previously appeared in HBO and Sky's experimental drama The Third Day and will have a role in the upcoming second season of The Witcher.
Lolita Chakrabarti plays Meera Harwood
Who is Meera Harwood? Harwood is the mother of Dhillon and a senior politician, who currently holds the post of Shadow Minister for the Environment. She is friends with Talitha's father.
What else has Lolita Chakrabarti been in? Chakrabarti recently appeared in BBC One's hit thriller Vigil, starring alongside Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie. Her previous projects include E4 comedy My Mad Fat Diary, ITV's short-lived Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Channel 4 thriller Born to Kill and Sky drama Riviera.
Sharon D Clarke plays Virginia Hoult
Who is Virginia Hoult? Hoult is James Thornley's superior at the Crown Prosecution Service, who urges him to tread carefully on the Talitha Campbell case, as one wrong move could bury them.
What else has Sharon D Clarke been in? Clarke has won three prestigious Olivier awards for her roles on the stage, while she has also made screen appearances in BBC One's Informer, Doctor Who and Holby City, where she played consultant Lola Griffin.
Tom Andrews plays Seb Harding
Who is Seb Harding? Seb is Damian's right-hand man, assisting him in all of his business dealings. According to Talitha, he is also having an affair with her mother, which is one reason why she intensely dislikes him.
What else has Tom Andrews been in? Andrews played the role of Kevin on Mae Martin's acclaimed comedy drama Feel Good, while he is also known for appearances in I Hate Suzie, We Hunt Together and Psychoville.
Amy Morgan plays Heidi McKinnon
Who is Heidi McKinnon? Heidi is the other partner at Cleo's law firm, which primarily takes on small and relatively inconsequential cases. For this reason, the Talitha Campbell trial is a huge opportunity for them to make a name for themselves.
What else has Amy Morgan been in? Morgan had a small role in smash-hit Bond film No Time to Die, while she has also featured in television dramas The Pembrokeshire Murders, Breeders and Mr Selfridge.
Angus Castle-Doughty plays Troy Manners
Who is Troy Manners? Troy is a drug dealer who is known to Talitha Campbell, with police briefly suspecting she could have hired him to attack Hannah Ellis.
What else has Angus Castle-Doughty been in? Castle-Doughty played Mikhael on Netflix's fantasy series Shadow and Bone, while he has also appeared in an episode of Ashley Jensen's Agatha Raisin.
Abra Thompson plays Hannah Ellis
Who is Hannah Ellis? Hannah is a university student who has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. The police fear she may have been murdered.
What else has Abra Thompson been in? Thompson has previously appeared in BBC Three's acclaimed comedy This Country and Apple TV+ series Trying, starring Rafe Spall.
Claire Lams plays Andrea Ellis
Who is Andrea Ellis? Andrea is Hannah's mother, who is left devastated by her sudden disappearance.
What else has Claire Lams been in? Lams also appears in Sky thriller COBRA: Cyberwar, which is another series from Showtrial writer Ben Richards. Other projects include factual drama The Salisbury Poisonings and Call The Midwife.
Showtrial premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 31st October. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
