Actor and comedian Michelle De Swarte to star in Sister’s darkly comic series The Baby for Sky and HBO

Aactor and comedian Michelle De Swarte (The Duchess) stars in the darkly comic horror, The Baby, from debut screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (Kaos, Sex Education). Michelle, who made her acting debut as a series regular in Netflix series The Duchess is set to play 38 year-old Natasha, with Amira Ghazalla (The Rhythm Section, Sense8) and Amber Grappy also confirmed in the line up. The Sky and HBO co-production, which has begun filming, is co-created by Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer (credits as Production Manager include Gangs of London, Liar) and produced by global content company SISTER (Giri/Haji, Chernobyl, Gangs of London) and Proverbial Pictures. The eight-part series will air on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW.

Thanks to the Sky announcement, we’ve a good description of the show’s premise:

Michelle De Swarte plays Natasha, who is the friend who’s never made long-term plans. So when she is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. And as she discovers the true extent of its deadly nature, Natasha makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of it.

But… while she doesn’t want a baby, the baby wants her.
Making her acting debutm Amber Grappy plays Bobbi, Natasha’s younger sister, a children’s magician and a ball of joy. Bobbi is everybody’s favourite. There is nothing Bobbi wants more than to be a parent, to give love and to receive it. She couldn’t be more different to Natasha if she tried. So when Bobbi sees her sister with the thing she wants most in the world – a baby – she is blinded by jealousy and unable to see the danger they are all in.

Also joining the cast is Amira Ghazalla who plays Mrs Eaves, the 73 year old enigma who has spent the last 50 years living out of her car. She seems to be everywhere the Baby is. But who is she, and what does she want with Natasha’s new arrival?

You can read more about the show, including the all-women writers room, in the press release.