Casting announced for J. K. Rowling’s ‘The Casual Vacancy’

First published in 2012, The Casual Vacancy was Rowling’s first-ever adult-themed novel and the first since her seventh and final Harry Potter book was published in 2007. It is now being turned into a three-part mini-series by BBC One in conjunction with HBO. It tells the story of an idyllic English town being ripped apart during a parish council election, which is brought about by the untimely death of one of it’s members, Barry Fairbrother. Michael Gambon (Quirke) and Julia McKenzie (Marple), Rufus Jones (W1A) and Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty), and Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful) lead the cast as, respectively, Howard and Shirley Mollison, Miles and Samantha Mollison, and Barry Fairbrother. Gambon is familiar with Rowling’s Harry Potter fans for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in the film series. Last year, the Daily Telegraph claimed that Kinnear had been approached by the BBC to replace Matt Smith as the Doctor in their flagship science-fiction drama series, Doctor Who; which Kinnear himself denied. Hawes — who is well known for having played Zoe Reynolds in Spooks / MI5 and Alex Drake in the Life on Mars sequel Ashes to Ashes — recently won critical acclaim for her role in the second season of Joe Mercurio’s Line of Duty. She will herself be seen in Doctor Who later this year, playing Ms Delphox. Joining them will be Monica Dolan (Appropriate Adult) as Tess Wall; as well as Michele Austin (The Bill), Marie Critchley (In the Flesh), Keeley Forsyth (Coronation Street), Richard Glover (The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains!), Simon McBurney (Rev.) and newcomer Abigail Lawrie. According to Digital Spy, filming will commence in southwest England, on July 7. A transmission date is yet to be announced. The Casual Vacancy has been adapted for television by Sarah Phelps (The Crimson Field) and will be directed by Jonny Campbell (In The Flesh).