Zawe Ashton to star in Channel 4's brand new comedy drama CUT

30 June 2014

Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat, Dreams of a Life), Sacha Dhawan (The History Boys, Line of Duty), Anastasia Hille (The Fear, Utopia, Prey), Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley), Jo Hartley (The Mimic, This Is England), Tom Weston Jones (Copper, Spooks) and Samuel Barnett (The History Boys, Twenty Twelve) to star in DC Moore’s original 6-part workplace comedy drama CUT from Clerkenwell Films.

CUT explores the shattered personal and professional lives of a disparate group of highly dysfunctional civil servants forced to relocate from London to Northampton following government cuts. Inventive, comical and utterly timely, CUT is both a deft portrait of a generation struggling with the realities of 21st century work life and a warm exploration of the camaraderie and friendships that can bloom in times of difficulty.

Zawe Ashton stars as the mercurial Katherine, early 30s and in a near-permanent state of frustration. Turned down for an attractive redundancy package, recently divorced and troubled by secrets in her past, her relocation from London to Northampton to join the Immigration Pathway department may just be the last straw for her.

Things are made even more difficult for Katherine when she realises she’ll be working with Anthony, played by Tom Weston Jones. Late 20s, yet old before his time, and cited in Katherine’s divorce papers, their relationship is complicated to say the least…

Sacha Dhawan plays the perma-wasted Danny, late 20s, a chancer who has somehow found himself managing the Immigration Pathway office after he accidentally pretended to be a devout Muslim. Struggling to work around his fondness for drink and drugs, he’s constantly led astray by his feisty PA, Angela, played Jo Hartley, a terrible influence…

Sophie Rundle plays Jenny, mid 20s, irrepressibly and irritatingly upbeat. Jenny is a ball of energy with a relentlessly sunny disposition that hides a profound vulnerability. Meanwhile Nathanial, played by Samuel Barnett, mid 20s, is naïve and well meaning, trying his best to do his job, but never quite certain what his job actually involves.

Anastasia Hille joins the cast as a shell-shocked Jeffries, 40s, head of Human Resources and responsible for Katherine and Danny’s relocation. She’s as surprised as everyone else to find herself on the receiving end of her own wave of cuts. Behind her stoical and affable nature, and with her own problems at home, she’s as lost as everyone else.

Together they must readjust to their new life, their new surroundings and an inescapable new surrogate family of colleagues.

Full of black humour, razor sharp dialogue and intricately drawn relationships, CUT is a timely workplace comedy drama that is laced with an acerbically surreal sensibility which cuts straight to the quick of a lost generation.

Kieron Hawkes (The Mimic, Ripper Street) and Rob McKillop (Young Doctor’s Notebook) will direct the 6 x 45’ series.

The series will begin filming in Glasgow this summer and will TX on Channel 4 in Autumn 2014.

The series is created and written by DC Moore and executive produced by Murray Ferguson and Andy Baker for Clerkenwell Films. The producer is Jemma Rodgers. CUT was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Head of Drama, Channel 4. Cut’s commissioning editor is Sophie Gardiner.