Marking 100 years since the start of the First World War, the six-part series will star Oona Chaplin (The Hour), Hermione Norris (Spooks), Suranne Jones (Scott And Bailey), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey), Kerry Fox (Shallow Grave) and Marianne Oldham (WPC 56).

Sarah Phelps, creator and lead writer, commented: “I am bouncing off the walls with excitement at having such an extraordinary talented cast, bouncing off the walls.”

Kate Harwood, BBC Head of In-House Drama Production England, added: “This drama has been a work of love for writer Sarah Phelps and Executive Producer Anne Pivcevic and their team; often drawing on primary research they have re-created a vibrant and dramatic world where hope and freedom fight despair and suffering and a group of disparate people are thrown together in a refuge from the fields of war.”

The official synopsis reads: “In a tented field hospital on the coast of France, a team of doctors, nurses and women volunteers work together to heal the bodies and souls of men wounded in the trenches. The hospital is a frontier: between the battlefield and home front, but also between the old rules, hierarchies, class distinctions and a new way of thinking.”

Oona Chaplin said: “‘The War To End All Wars’ – unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We keep fighting each other and committing horrific acts of violence. Although the technology of war may be different, the people have hardly changed, which Sarah Phelps has captured here so beautifully. In The Ark we follow men and women on their journey of survival, their struggle with meaning and love, and the small victories that mean so much. In this ensemble of colourful characters, Kitty is cut-throat, intelligent, tormented and wild. I can’t wait to start filming.”

Suranne Jones commented: “This is my first period drama and I am so excited at the prospect of filming a First World War series set on a frontline hospital. It’s an important period in history not just because of the war but because it was a transitional period for women, liberated in some respect but still shackled by the conventions and hierarchies of the past. Sarah Phelps really gets to the beating heart of a story and gives very strong images and weight to her characters. For my role as Joan she has created a nurse with a very independent and modern outlook who is much more interested in her patients than protocol.”

Hermione Norris said: “The emotional and psychological impact World War One had on a generation and beyond has always held a deep fascination for me. Sarah Phelps has crafted a compelling script with rich and complex characters who really explore the depth and impact of love and loss in this heroic, yet tragic period in British history. It’s a privilege to be involved in this BBC production 100 years on, bringing the drama of World War One into the hearts and minds of this generation. ‘Lest we forget.'”

The Ark begins filming this month and will air on BBC One in 2014.

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