Production Begins on My Mother and Other Strangers in Northern Ireland

LONDON: Filming has begun in Northern Ireland on BBC One’s new drama series My Mother and Other Strangers, which stars Hattie Morahan (The Outcast, Beauty and the Beast).

The drama is written by Barry Devlin (Ballykissangel, Darling Buds of May). It is set in Northern Ireland during World War II. The series follows the fortunes of the Coyne family and their neighbors as they struggle to maintain a normal life after a huge United States Army Air Force airfield sets up in the middle of their rural parish.

The cast also features Owen McDonnell (Single-Handed), Aaron Staton (Mad Men) and Eileen O’Higgins (Brooklyn). My Mother and Other Strangers is the first drama commission to be announced since the publication of the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen Partnership Agreement in March 2015.

Stephen Wright, the head of drama for BBC Northern Ireland, said: “I’m delighted that Hattie Morahan will be leading our brilliant cast as Rose Coyne. Barry Devlin’s scripts are formed by his love of life with all its complexities, and a love for the place and people where he grew up. The scripts are in safe hands with the cast and our producer Grainne Marmion. Adrian Shergold will do a brilliant job bringing this unique time and world to life.”

Devlin added: “I’m really excited about the casting. I wrote the series around Hattie Morahan because she somehow manages to combine a magical serenity with a capacity to be daft as a brush: and Rose, our heroine, combines those two qualities in spades. Watching Hattie work that magic on screen is a true pleasure. Owen McDonnell, Eileen O’Higgins, Aaron Staton lead a cast who excite me more every time I see them.”