Bryony Hannah, best known for her role as Sister Cynthia in Call The Midwife, is set to play Agatha Christie in a new BBC detective drama. The 10-part series, titled The Detection Club, is inspired by the golden age of detective fiction and will follow three of Britain's most celebrated crime writers.
The actress starred as Sister Cynthia in Call the Midwife from 2012 to 2017, leaving the period drama alongside Emerald Fennell and Kate Lamb. She has since appeared in Death in Paradise and in Rivals alongside Emily Atack and Danny Dyer. Now, she takes on the role of the best-selling novelist in the new series, which is created by Kit Lambert.
Cast and Plot Details
Alongside Bryony, the cast includes Miles Jupp as G.K. Chesterton, Cara Theobold as Dorothy L. Sayers, and Viraj Juneja as D.I. Greenway. The series is set in 1930s London and follows the legendary crime writers as they hone their craft within the hallowed walls of a secret London location.
The BBC teased: “Set against a backdrop of literary glamour, social change and deadly intrigue, The Detection Club follows the mysterious society formed by three of Britain's most celebrated crime writers Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and G.K. Chesterton, as they are drawn into a series of real-life murder investigations.”
After they receive an invitation to their first real murder case, the famous trio work together to solve the mystery. Along the way, their amateur sleuthing leads them to a young police detective out of his depth, who, while trying to prove himself, is helped and hindered by the writers.
Bryony Hannah on Her New Role
As her new role was announced, Bryony said: "Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time; and yet I knew very little about the woman behind the pen. The Detection Club gives us a chance to meet Agatha in a whole new light. I’m so looking forward to exploring her wit, intellect and flaws with such a fab team."
This comes after Bryony left her role as Sister Cynthia Miller in 2017 after six seasons to pursue new career opportunities and focus on stage and theatre work. Her character faced a difficult storyline before her exit, after being left traumatized following a brutal attack and leaving Nonnatus House for long-term psychiatric care.
At the time, a BBC spokesperson told Radio Times: “We are always sad when actors want to move on to pastures new, as it's a wrench to let go of such beloved characters, but time and again over the years it has proved hugely exciting to bring new faces and personalities into the mix. As a large ensemble family, comings and goings are part of life in Call the Midwife and we wish Emerald, Kate and Bryony all the luck for their next projects.”
Call The Midwife Prequel
Call The Midwife is now set to return after concluding series 15 earlier this year, which saw an emotional finale as Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) died. The show will now go back in time for a prequel series, Sisters in Arms. Set in 1939, the wartime drama will follow the nurses and nuns from the convent as they battle to support their East London community as the Second World War begins, at a time before the NHS.
The synopsis teases: "In September 1939, Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and zealous, and Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar." Together with Sister Alice, and local GP Dr Kit, the nuns dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and those in need. But there is no gas and air, no penicillin, no cure for TB, and no welfare state. Then war is declared – and life gets even harder.
"The three young secular midwives who complete the team – Sybil, Olive and Marianne – receive a baptism of fire as the blackout and the Blitz take hold," it continues. "While bombs rain from the sky, women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and whole streets are reduced to rubble. But courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive." Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
