Irish-Ethiopan actress Ruth Negga (Misfits, Breakfast on Pluto) has been cast to play Welsh diva Shirley Bassey in the upcoming BBC Two drama ‘Shirley Bassey: A very British Diva’.
The Trinity College Graduate Ruth Negga commented on the role saying "I'm thrilled to be cast in the role of Shirley Bassey and it's an absolute honour to be playing her in such an intimate story of her life."
Written by Shelagh Stephenson and produced by Kath Lannon, the drama will see the young ‘Love/Hate’ actress take on the role of Welsh Singing legend Shirley Bassey. The 60-minute film is to be produced by Prospect Cymru, the Welsh arm of DCD Media and is part of BBC Two’s Mixed Race Season, which aims to provide a window into the varied lives of mixed-race people living in the UK, through a series of new programmes.
Directed by Colin Teague (Doctor Who), the film will be set from the Thirties to the Sixties, and will follow Shirley Bassey’s journey from poverty to international stardom. IFTA nominated actress Negga will be joined by supporting cast including Lesley Sharp (Afterlife) as Eliza Bassey, Charlie Creed-Miles (King Arthur) as manager Mike Sullivan and Henry Lloyd-Hughes (The Inbetweeners) as Kenneth Hume, Shirley’s soon-to-be personal manager and future husband.
Maxine Warson and Eleanor Moran will executive produce for the BBC alongside Charles Thompson. ‘Shirley Bassey: A Very British Diva’ will be broadcast later this autumn on BBC Two.
