Deadpan Pictures in association with Screen Ireland have released a series of official first-look images of Stephen Jones, Elva Trill and Jay Duffy in new Irish series Northern Lights. The six-part series from Lionsgate and Screen Ireland will premiere on TG4 next month.
Northern Lights is Stephen Jones’s (Love/Hate, KIN) screenwriting debut. Jones also leads the series with the Dubliner taking up a starring role as Lloyd, a hapless optimist whose life is turned upside down by a tragic event.
Set in Dublin North City Centre’s Capel Street and Northside Quays, Northern Lights tells the story of two grieving strangers, Lloyd (Stephen Jones) and Áine (Elva Trill), whose worlds collide when Lloyd notices Áine standing on Grattan bridge. Fearing the worst, he decides to intervene. A series of revelations, confessions, secrets and lies follow, leading to Lloyd and Áine becoming beacons of light for one another when they need it most.
As Lloyd and Aíne’s friendship develops, the show deals with the stories of their respective partners, Seán (Jay Duffy) and Denise (Jennifer Heylen). It soon becomes apparent that both are dealing with major grief and tragedy.
“As a proud Dubliner, I’ve always wanted to tell stories of this beautiful city and everyday characters living extraordinary lives,” said Jones, talking about the series. “We meet Lloyd at a point in his life where everything seems to be spiralling and he is looking for a light in the darkness, something he finds in his unlikely friendship with Áine. It is a truly hopeful series, and I am absolutely delighted with how it turned out. It is a dream come true!”
Award-winning Sligo native, Elva Trill (Line of Duty, Jurassic World: Dominion) stars alongside Jones in the series as strongminded Áine, who seeks solitude as she struggles to navigate her grief and cope with her own feelings of loss.
“Northern Lights is such an emotionally powerful tale which I think is captured beautifully in this first look,” said Elva Trill. “The series is a wonderful rollercoaster of complex feelings as we learn how Aine and Lloyd cope with their own struggles and discover that not everyone’s journey through grief is the same. It was a real privilege to work on something so character driven and I’m really proud to be representing Ireland in this series.”
Jay Duffy (Derry Girls, The Wheel of Time) rounds out the leading lineup as Seán, a young man suffering from his own mental health issues while trying to balance his relationship with Áine.
“It has been an honour to deep dive into such a complex character with Seán,” said Duffy. “We took great care to present a nuanced and realistic portrayal of his mental health struggles and I hope audiences appreciate the show’s emotional depth while finding an uplifting message of hope in the series.”
The supporting cast of Northern Lights includes Jennifer Heylen (The Pod Generation, Noise) as Lloyd’s estranged partner Denise, who moved from Belgium to Ireland before falling in love with Lloyd. Denise McCormack (Kin, Deadly Cuts) takes up the role of Sandra, Don Wycherley (Father Ted, Flora and Son) plays Paul, Kevin McGahern (Clear History, Hardy Bucks) is Tony and Eoin Duffy (The Dry, Pixie) plays Liam.
Northern Lights is adapted from the original stage play by Stephen Jones and produced by Deadpan Pictures in Association with Lionsgate and Screen Ireland. It is a co-production of ZDF and TG4.
Northern Lights will premiere exclusively on TG4 next month.
