Adapted from Diane Setterfield’s novel, the 90-minute single drama is written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Atonement, Dangerous Liaisons) and will be directed by James Kent (Inside Men, The White Queen).

Set in the modern day, with flashbacks starting in 1940, The Thirteenth Tale begins when a young female biographer, Margaret (Colman), sets out to interview a legendary writer whose health is fading. Vida Winter (Redgrave) has, until now, refused to divulge the dark secrets of her life and past at Angelfield, her childhood home. An unlikely shared empathy is cultivated between the two women, and Vida’s story forces Margaret to finally confront her own ghosts.

Writer Christopher Hampton commented: “I was delighted to take on Ms Setterfield’s ingenious mystery. It’s been a great pleasure re-engaging with the brave new world of 21st-century television drama: I may have to come back for more.”

Producer David Heyman added: “I am delighted and honoured that Ben Stephenson and Janice Hadlow have commissioned this film for BBC Two, and to be working with such extraordinary talent on both sides of the camera. And of course to be partnering with my mother, who has been such an inspiration throughout my life, is particularly special.”

The Thirteenth Tale will begin filming this month and will air on BBC Two later this year.

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