The BBC's "anarchic" new show What It Feels Like For A Girl has confirmed its stacked new cast.
The series, which is based on the memoir by Paris Lees and is created and written by the author, follows a teenager called Byron who discovers kindred spirits in Nottingham's underworld in the early 2000s.
It has now been confirmed that Adolescence's Hannah Walters and Showtrial's Michael Socha have been cast, while Catherine the Great's Ellis Howard will take on the lead role of Byron.
Related: Best streaming services
Also cast are Bridgerton's Calam Lynch as Max, Jake Dunn as Liam, Dickie Beau as Peter, Laquarn Lewis as Lady Die, Hannah Jones as Sasha, Waterloo Road's Adam Ali as Dirty Damian and Alex Thomas-Smith as Sticky Nikki.
Laura Haddock, Rivals' Emma Shipp, Boarders' Sekou Diaby, Laura Checkley, Oliver Huntingdon, Lorn Macdonald, Happy Valley's Rhys Connah, Cold Feet's Fay Ripley and Selina Mosinski are also on board.
What to Read Next
What It Feels Like For A Girl is described as "a raw, heartbreaking and hilarious drama that explores escape, self-discovery and self-destruction".
Related: BBC's 'captivating' Margate-set drama confirms impressive cast with SAS Rogue Heroes star
"It's a new millennium and there's a whole world to explore. But teenager Byron is stuck in a small working-class town that hasn’t been the same since the coal mine shut down in the '80s," the synopsis reads. "Byron needs to get away and doesn’t care how.
"Life explodes in a rush when Byron escapes to Nottingham’s vibrant underworld, discovering a realm of drink, drugs, and a chaotic family of troublemakers – 'The Fallen Divas'."
Byron finds "a gang of kindred spirits" in Lady Die, Sticky Nikki, Dirty Damian, as well as a rivalry with the "beautiful, acid-tongued" Sasha.
Related: BBC's compelling British crime drama confirms new cast in first look at returning season
"Between them, they beg, steal and skank their way on a rollercoaster ride of hedonism at the heart of the UK’s early 2000s club scene. The party can't last forever though, and when Byron is seduced by bad-boy Liam, a shocking encounter occurs that will change life forever."
"This is a proudly working-class story, and it needed a cast who could bring it to life authentically," Lees said.
Liza Marshall, MD and executive producer at Hera Pictures, added: "We couldn’t be prouder of the phenomenal cast leading What It Feels Like for a Girl, who join a team of brilliant creatives in bringing Paris’s daringly distinctive vision to the screen.
"Ellis and the rest of the ensemble - an exciting mix of new and established talent - deliver incredible performances, bringing these anarchic, sharp-witted characters to life."
What It Feels Like For A Girl will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
