Ruth Madeley & India Amarteifio Lead BBC Thriller ‘The Rapture’
The former 'Doctor Who' and 'Queen Charlotte' stars are set to share an intriguing double act.
The BBC’s latest psychological thriller has a little bit of everything: Climate disaster, a disturbing religious movement, and murder, all with a hefty dash of possible clairvoyance thrown on top. Behold, The Rapture, a series in which it appears almost no one is sure what they believe.
Set amidst an apocalyptic heatwave, the story follows Gabs Fox, a freshly minted forensic psychologist, as she starts a new job at a high-security psychiatric hospital. There she meets teenage patient Bethany Krall, a 17-year-old who has been convicted of murdering her mother. Estranged from her father —who happens to be the leader of a cult-like religious movement, so draw your own conclusions about what her upbringing was probably like — the girl swears she is innocent.
But, then again, she also claims that her electroshock treatments have given her psychic powers — abilities that allow her to foresee natural disasters like the one they’re living through right now. Intrigued by Bethany and her story, Gabs starts her own investigation into her mother’s death.
Adapted from Liz Jensen’s bestselling novel, the series stars Doctor Who fan favorite Ruth Madeley as Gabs and Queen Charlotte breakout India Amarteifio as Bethany.
Here’s the series synopsis
Set in a heatwave, with protestors on the streets, forensic psychologist Gabs Fox starts a new job at a high-security psychiatric hospital where she meets 17-year-old Bethany Krall.
Bethany was convicted of murdering her mother but claims she is innocent. She is estranged from her father Leonard, who is the charismatic leader of an influential religious movement.
Bethany tells Gabs that she has psychic powers and can predict the future - but what will it take for Gabs to believe her? And if Bethany didn’t kill her mother, then who did?
India Amarteifio, Stephen Campbell Moore, Ruth Madeley, Sam Hazeldine, and Ruth Jones in "The Rapture" (Photo: BBC/Mammoth Screen)
Alongside Madeley and Amarteifio, the series cast also includes Stephen Campbell Moore (Masters of the Air), Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Lisa Palfrey (COBRA), Siena Kelly (Black Mirror), Naby Dakhli (House of David), Richard Elis (The Pact), Sam Hazeldine (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Dean Rehman (Until I Kill You), Robert Rhodes (House of the Dragon) and Ruth Jones (The Other Bennet Sister).
The five-part series is written by Bryony Kimmings (Last Christmas) and Rebecca Manley (Berlin Noir) and directed by Eva Sigurđardóttir (Domino Day) and Jennifer Perrott (Rain Dogs). Executive producers include Madeley, Rebecca Durbin, and Tom Leggett, as well as Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen and Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC. Series producers are Betsan Morris Evans and Joanna Crow.
The Rapture is slated to air this summer on BBC One. It does not yet have an American distributor.
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