Jill Halfpenny and Babou Ceesay star in new BBC One drama Dark Mon£y

Dark Mon£y, Babou Ceesay, Jill Halfpenny

Jill Halfpenny and Babou Ceesay play troubled parents whose family life is rocked when their son Isaac makes a shock allegation...

Jill Halfpenny, last seen on screen in ITV psychological drama Liar, is back in a new BBC One drama, Dark Mon£y.

In the forthcoming four-part series, Jill and co-star Babou Ceesay, the BAFTA nominated actor from BBC One's true-life Damilola, Our Loved Boy, play parents Sam and Manny Mensah, whose world is turned upside down when their youngest son Isaac reveals he was abused by a renowned filmmaker while shooting a role in a major Hollywood film...

The drama, from writer Levi David Addai who also penned Damilola, Our Loved Boy, sees Sam and Manny face a dilemma over what to do about the shock allegations, when they are offered big money to keep quiet.

Aware the money could help their family start a new life and avoid the public scandal of trying to take on Hollywood and press charges against a celebrity, will they accept the hush money?

"I’m thrilled to be playing Sam in Dark Mon£y," says Jill. "Getting the opportunity to work with director Lewis Arnold again is fantastic and I’m really excited to work with Babou Ceesay on this incredible project that Levi has created."

Babou Ceesay says: "I’m delighted to be heading back to the BBC for Dark Mon£y and to be reunited with Levi to tell this powerful story. I’m also looking forward to collaborating with Jill, Lewis and the team."

The cast of Dark Mon£y also includes Rebecca Front (War and Peace, Poldark), Susan Wokoma (Crazyhead, Chewing Gum), Olive Gray (Home from Home), Ellen Thomas (Teachers, EastEnders), Joseph May (Resident Evil), Rudi Dharmalingam (Our Girl) and Gary Beadle (EastEnders).

Dark Mon£y is currently filming in Birmingham and will be shown next year on BBC One

Simon Timblick
Writer

Simon has long been a fan of soap operas, and especially loves OVER-THE-TOP plots involving evil twins, hair-pulling catfights and natural disasters.

Anyone remember the Sunset Beach earthquake/tidal wave?

Or when Krystle Carrington got locked in the attic and replaced by look-a-like Rita in Dynasty?!


Simon has written for a variety of TV and childrens’ magazines/websites including Inside Soap, Nickelodeon, What’s On TV, Radio Times, Metro, Girl Talk, Disney Girl, Toxic! and Digital Spy.

He has reported LIVE from the red carpet at The British Soap Awards interviewing glammed-up stars from soapland, and hosted a Facebook LIVE session for Metro with Home and Away legend Ray Meagher (Alf "Stone the flamin' crows!" Stewart) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Aussie soap.


Simon is also co-author of The Treasures Of Coronation Street (Carlton Books)


And the writer and director of (very!) low budget fright flick, Midsummer Night's EVIL and the sequel webisodes series, The Hatchet Woods HORROR.