The Night Watch: Film Announced for BBC Two, Spring 2011

Anna Maxwell Martin (South Riding), Claire Foy (Little Dorrit), Jodie Whittaker (Accused), Harry Treadaway (Fish Tank) and Kenneth Cranham (Tess of the D’Urbervilles) will star in an adaptation of Sarah Waters’ bestselling novel, The Night Watch.

It is adapted by award winning British writer, Paula Milne (Small Island, Endgame, The Virgin Queen and The Politician’s Wife) and made by BBC Drama Production. The Executive Producer for the BBC is Hilary Salmon, the producer is Annie Tricklebank and the director is Richard Laxton (Accused and Hancock and Joan).

Kate Harwood, Controller of Series And Serials, said: “BBC Drama Production are very happy to be bringing this wonderful Sarah Waters’ novel to the BBC following on from productions of Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet. This surprising, romantic and sexy novel peels away the clichés of the Blitz spirit and shows us Londoners at their most vulnerable and tender.”

This news, coupled with the fact that The Little Stranger is now optioned for feature film, means that Sarah Waters is in the almost unique position of having every single one of her novels dramatised for film or television. Virago will be publishing a film tie-in edition to coincide.