Nightsleeper: Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole Set for BBC Real-Time Thriller

Peaky Blinders & Gangs of London star Joe Cole has been cast as lead alongside Alexandra Roarch in the upcoming real-time BBC thriller series Nightsleeper, which takes place in real-time onboard a train. He will co-star with Alexandra Roach (The Light in the Hall) in the drama, which is from Nick Leather (The Control Room, Mother’s Day). Filming is underway in Glasgow, Scotland. “It’s a joy to be able to write for this cast of some of the finest acting talent in the UK today,” said Leather. “Our train is a real rollercoaster, a white-knuckle trip through the heart of Britain, and I’m delighted to have them join us for the ride.”

The BBC first announced the show in December 2022. Set on a sleeper train from Glasgow to London, the real-time drama follows a government agency desperately trying to intervene as events rapidly escalate onboard. Two strangers (Cole and Roach) are forced to work together to save the lives of a disparate group of passengers as the train hurtles towards “what might quite literally be its final destination.” Basically, it’s like the serious version of Bullet Train. Nothing is more nightmarish to the British than being trapped on a train. Just ask anyone who has to take one in the UK these days.

Nightsleeper also includes Alex Ferns (The Devil’s Hour), Sharon Small (The Bay), James Cosmo (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), David Threlfall (Shameless), Daniel Cahill (The Control Room), Lois Chimimba (Vigil), Gabriel Howell (The Fence), Katie Leung (Harry Potter), Leah MacRae (Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything), Ruth Madeley (Years and Years), Adam Mitchell (Mother’s Day), Pamela Nomvete (Andor), Scott Reid (Maxine), Sharon Rooney (Jerk) and Parth Thakerar (Gangs of London).

Euston Managing Director Kate Harwood will executive produce with Leather, and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC. Jamie Magnus Stone (Doctor Who, Ten Pound Poms) and John Hayes (Dublin Murders) are the series directors. Leather wrote the scripts, with Laura Grace on episodes 4 and 5. Producing is Jonathan Curling (The Sister, Baghdad Central). Nightsleeper will run for six parts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and probably end up on a streamer in the US.