Lux

Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu
give very animated performances
in Lux

One episode (Lux)

First broadcast: Apr 19 2025
Audience for story: 1.58m (overnight)

REGULAR CAST

Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) Born Oct 15 1992 Click here for Ncuti Gatwa's entry on The Giggle

Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra) Born May 12 1992 Click here for Varada Sethu's entry on Boom

GUEST CAST

Samir Arrian (Hassan Chowdry)

Career highlights

Other credits include Brassic (2022) and Unforgotten (2025).

Bronte Barbe (Lizzie Abel) Born 1991

Career highlights

Bronte debuted in the 2014 short film 7.2, followed by roles in Call the Midwife (2018) and Years and Years (2019).

Facts

In 2010, Bronte auditioned for the role of Dorothy in the TV talent show Over the Rainbow, but the fact she didn't win didn't hold her back, and in 2017 she took on the role of singer-songwriter Carole King in the stage musical Beautiful.

Lewis Cornay (Logan Cheever) Born 1996

Career highlights

Lewis's other work includes John & Jen (2021) and A Bear Remembers (2025).

Alan Cumming (Voice of Mr Ring-a-Ding) Born Jan 27 1965

Doctor Who credits

Played: King James I in The Witchfinders (2018)

Played: Voice of Mr Ring-a-Ding in Lux (2025)
Career highlights
Hugely prolific Scotsman Alan made his screen debut in Travelling Man (1984), followed by roles in Taggart (1986), Shadow of the Stone (1987), High Road (1988), Bernard and the Genie (1991), Micky Love (1993), Cabaret (1993), The High Life (1994-95), Circle of Friends (1995), GoldenEye (1995), Emma (1996), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Spice World (1997), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), 3rd Rock from the Sun (2000), Get Carter (2000), Spy Kids (2001), Sex and the City (2001), Spy Kids 2 (2002), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Frasier (2003), X-Men 2 (2003), Spy Kids 3 (2003), Son of the Mask (2005), The L Word (2006), Tin Man (2007), Boogie Woogie (2009), Burlesque (2010), Maladies (2012), After Louie (2017), Queers (2017), Instinct (2018-19), Helpsters (2019), Briarpatch (2020), Prodigal Son (2021), Solar (2022) and The Good Fight (2022). Alan also played Eli Gold in 121 episodes of The Good Wife (2010-16). He is a prolific voice actor too, having given his vocal talents to Black Beauty (1994), God, the Devil and Bob (2000), Courage the Cowardly Dog (2002), Shoebox Zoo (2004), Robot Chicken (2006/08), Rick & Steve, the Happiest Gay Couple in All the World (2007-09), The Smurfs (2011-13), Dora the Explorer (2014), Michael Jackson's Halloween (2017), Show Dogs (2018) and The Prince (2021). Alan also appeared in the 1993 drama The Airzone Solution, a video production co-starring Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.
Awards
1991: Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance of the Year (Accidental Death of an Anarchist)
1992: British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Newcomer (Bernard and the Genie)
1998: Tony Award for Best Leading Actor (Musical) (Cabaret)
2009: Officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts and civil rights
2018: BAFTA Scotland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television

Facts
Between 1985-93, Alan was married to fellow actor Hilary Lyon; in 2007 he married Hollywood storyboard artist Grant Shaffer. Alan has said in interview that he was approached about the role of the Ninth Doctor (but not offered it) in 2004. He became a US citizen in 2008. Alan has launched two of his own fragrances, called Cumming and Second Cumming. He can also be seen in the music video for 30 Seconds to Mars' City of Angels (2013). Alan has also written a book (Tommy's Tale, 2002), an autobiography (Not My Father's Son, 2014) and two albums (I Bought a Blue Car Today, 2009, and Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, 2016). Here's his Twitter feed.

Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood) Born Apr 29 1949 Click here for Anita Dobson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

Cassius Hackforth (Tommy Lee) Born Aug 16 2001

Career highlights

Cassius has also appeared in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) and Casualty (2025).

Facts

Cassius was born in Massachusetts, USA, when his father was working in the States, but moved to North Wales when he was three years old, so holds dual citizenship.

Jane Hancock (Helen Pye) Born Apr 27 1988

Career highlights

Canadian Jane's earliest role was playing six-year-old Mary Jean in The War Between Us in 1995, after which she won roles in Mile Zero (2005-06), Fringe (2012), The True Heroines (2013), Mythos (2015), The Flash (2015), Motive (2016), Van Helsing (2016), Beaches (2017), Altered Carbon (2018) and The Age of Adulting (2018).

Steph Lacey (Robyn Gossage)

Career highlights

Steph's other credits include Hollyoaks (2019), Stay Close (2021), Bridgerton (2022), Doctors (2022), Maryland (2023) and Red Eye (2024). She also wrote the 2022 short film We Care and an episode of TV series Phoenix Rise (2023).

Career

Steph's CV states she is a disabled neuro-diverse woman who spent some time homeless.

William Meredith (Policeman) Born Nov 21 1973

Doctor Who credits

Played: Kevin in Arachnids in the UK (2018)

Played: Policeman in Lux (2025)
Career highlights
American William made his screen debut in 2001's Band of Brothers, followed by roles in Ultimate Force (2006), 28 Weeks Later (2007), True Heroes (2008), Mirrors (2008), Green Zone (2010), Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover (2016), SS-GB (2017), Outlander (2017), A Killer Next Door (2020), Kingdom of the Dinosaurs (2022), India a Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) and The Mitchin Murders (2024).

Facts

William spent four years in the US Army before becoming an actor.

Millie O'Connell (Voice of Sunshine Sally) Born Jan 18 1997

Career highlights

Millie started out on the stage, performing in musical theatre productions such as 42nd Street (2016) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (2018) before securing the role that got her noticed, that of Anne Boleyn in the West End production of SIX (2018-19). Millie also performs as part of the pop group SVN alongside other former stars of the musical SIX.

Linus Roache (Reginald Pye) Born Feb 1 1964

Career highlights

Linus's earliest credit was as a boy in The Onedin Line (1976), after which he was cast in No Surrender (1985), A Sort of Innocence (1987), Saracen (1989), Priest (1994), Seaforth (1994), The Wings of the Dove (1997), Siam Sunset (1999), Best (2000), Hart's War (2002), The Gathering Storm (2002), RFK (2002), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Batman Begins (2005, as Thomas Wayne), The Ten Commandments (2006), Kidnapped (2006-07), The Miraculous Year (2011), Titanic (2012), The Blacklist (2014), Bancroft (2017), Summer of Rockets (2019), The Recruit (2022), Fellow Travelers (2023) and Billy the Kid (2022-24). Between 2008-10 he appeared in 63 episodes of Law & Order as Michael Cutter, briefly moving over to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011-12). He also played young Peter Barlow, the son of his father William's character Ken Barlow, in soap Coronation Street between 1973-75, and between 2014-17 played King Ecbert in 33 episodes of Vikings. Another high profile role was as David Wellington in Homeland (2017-20).

Facts

Linus is the son of Coronation Street acting legend William Roache (aka Ken Barlow) and actor Anna Cropper. His wife is actor Rosalind Bennett, while he also has an acting half-brother, James Roache. Linus can be seen in the music video for the 1992 single Set Your Loving Free by Lisa Stansfield.

Ian Shaw (Newsreader) Born Dec 18 1969

Career highlights

Debuted in Casualty (1993), followed by Century (1993), Soldier Soldier (1994), Moondance (1994), Ghosts (1995), Sharpe (1995), Medics (1995), Silent Witness (1996), Wuthering Heights (1998), Ultimate Force (2002), EastEnders (2002), Cambridge Spies (2003), The Queen (2009), Johnny English Reborn (2011) and Wynonna Earp (2018).

Facts

Ian's parents are actors Robert Shaw and Mary Ure, while his nephew is Ferdia Shaw (aka Artemis Fowl). His cousin is the children's author Tanya Landman.

Ryan Speakman (Husband)

Career highlights

Ryan's other credits include The Six (2011), Bull (2016) and The Detour (2017).

Lucy Thackeray (Renee Lowenstein) Born 1992

Career highlights

Lucy debuted in How TV Ruined Your Life (2011), followed by Doctors (2015), New Tricks (2015), The Five (2016), Hatton Garden (2019), Surge (2020), Moon Knight (2022), Black Ops (2023), Top Boy (2023) and Call the Midwife (2024).

CREW

Russell T Davies (writer) Born Apr 27 1963 Click here for Russell T Davies' entry on Rose

Amanda Brotchie (director)

Doctor Who credits

Directed: Lux (2025), The Well (2025)

Career highlights

Amanda's first directorial credit was the short film Headlock (1996), after which she worked on Neighbours (2000), Lowdown (2010-12), This is Littleton (2014), Girlboss (2017), Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018), Mr Black (2019), Squinters (2018-19), How to Stay Married (2020) and Renegade Nell (2024). She has also written for many of these productions, and acted as producer on Lowdown, This is Littleton and Total Agony (2012-15).

Facts

Amanda is married to Australian actor and writer Adam Zwar.