The Woman in the Wall, the BBC psychological thriller starring Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack, is now available on Netflix and has quickly climbed into the streamer's Top 10. The series, which originally aired on BBC One in 2023, has been hailed by fans as “one of the best shows ever” and described as a “deeply moving masterpiece”.
What is The Woman in the Wall about?
The series follows Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson), a woman living in a small Irish town who suffers from severe sleepwalking episodes. After one such episode, she wakes to find the body of a woman in her home, with no memory of what happened. Meanwhile, Dublin detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack) is investigating the murder of a local priest, and their paths collide, creating a tense and dangerous dynamic.
It is revealed that Lorna's sleepwalking is a long-term effect of her confinement in a convent's Magdalene Laundry when she was a pregnant teenager. Her baby was taken from her shortly after birth.
The Woman in the Wall cast
Ruth Wilson, known for The Affair, His Dark Materials, and Luther, plays Lorna Brady. Daryl McCormack, who appeared in Peaky Blinders, Bad Sisters, and The Wheel of Time, portrays Detective Colman Akande. The supporting cast includes Hilda Fay, Philippa Dunne, and Chizzy Akudolu.
Is The Woman in the Wall a true story?
The characters are fictional, but the show draws on real historical events: the Magdalene Laundries. These were institutions run by Roman Catholic religious orders from the 18th century, where “fallen women” – including unmarried mothers and rape victims – were forced to work unpaid. Their babies were often taken and placed into secret or illicit adoptions without consent.
Where was The Woman in the Wall filmed?
The fictional town of Kilkinure was portrayed by Portaferry in County Down, Northern Ireland. Additional filming took place in County Mayo in Western Ireland. Northern Ireland has been a filming location for many productions, including Derry Girls, The Fall, Line of Duty, and Bloodlands.
The Woman in the Wall is now streaming on Netflix.
