Sarah Hadland (Miranda) and John Thomson (Cold Feet) will lead the cast of BBC One Daytime’s new dramatisation of The Moonstone.

The five-part adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ mystery novel will air over five consecutive afternoons later this year as part of the BBC’s #LoveToRead season, supported by BBC Learning.

It is being adapted for screen by Rachel Flowerday (Father Brown) and Sasha Hails (Versailles).

Hadland will play Miss Clack alongside Thomson as Sergeant Cuff, with Joshua Silver (Wolf Hall) and Terenia Edwards (Hero’s Welcome) making their TV debuts as Franklin Blake and Rachel Verinder.

John Thomson commented: “The Moonstone is a classic novel, and this has all the makings of classic TV. I’ve worked on a wonderful variety of projects over the years, but I’ve secretly always wanted to be part of a big BBC One costume drama. The Moonstone is exactly that and I’m incredibly excited to be in it.”

Sarah Hadland added: “I am SO excited to be playing the fantastically named and appallingly behaved Miss Drusilla Clack. ‘Clack’, as she is sometimes called – to her horror, has to be the most pious of any character I have ever read. She sees herself as a devout Christian and ‘do gooder’, always thinking of others… however she is actually an interfering, manipulative little busybody who has an unholy obsession with Godfrey Ablewhite. Rachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails have written a fabulous script and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this BBC production – bring on the bonnet!”

The cast also includes Sophie Ward as Lady Verinder, Stewart Clarke as Godfrey Ablewhite, Leo Wringer as Betteredge, and David Calder as Mr Bruff.

The Moonstone tells the story of charismatic adventurer Franklin Blake on the most important quest of his life – to solve the disappearance of the priceless Moonstone and win back Rachel Verinder, his one true love.

Dan McGolpin, Controller of BBC Daytime and Early-Peak, said: “The Moonstone spawned a new genre: the detective novel. Its influence endures to the present day, in books and on television. With the help of BBC Learning we are offering BBC One viewers the chance to see this gripping story play out across five afternoons. I’m thrilled that the production has attracted such a strong cast, a mix of well-known and up and coming actors, all incredibly talented. Our viewers are in for a treat.”

The Moonstone is filming now in Yorkshire.

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