Ruth Wilson to star in The Woman in the Wall

Ruth Wilson is to star in 'The Woman in the Wall'.

The 'Affair' actress will appear alongside 'Peaky Blinders' actor Daryl McCormack in the six-part BBC One gothic thriller, which Ruth will also executive produce alongside series creator Joe Murtagh and director Harry Wootliff.

She said: "Lorna Brady is a complex and fascinating character and I’m thrilled to help bring her to life.

"In 'The Woman in the Wall' Joe has created both an enthralling gothic thriller and a moving examination of the legacy of The Magdalene Laundries. It’s a privilege to bring this story to screens."

Ruth will take on the role of Lorna, a woman from the small, fictional town of Kilkinure, who wakes one morning to find a corpse in her house.

Lorna, who has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking, has no idea who the woman is or if she is responsible for the killing.

The thriller will examine the legacy of one of Ireland’s most shocking scandals - the inhumane institutions known as "The Magdalene Laundries", a place where women were taken when they fell afoul of the social mores of their times - from those accused of committing adultery to teenage pregnancies.

Creator and Executive Producer Joe said: "My family is from Mayo, the county in which the fictional Kilkinure is set, and it deeply frustrates and saddens me that it feels so few people have heard of the Laundries that existed across Ireland.

"I hope that by making something that has the familiarity of a genre piece we are able to shed some light on the awful things that occurred within these kind of institutions and introduce this history to the wider public, so that nothing like it may ever happen again."

Ben Irving, Acting Director of BBC Drama, added: "It’s a real pleasure to announce this remarkable new series for BBC One and iPlayer.

"Joe Murtagh’s scripts are surprising, moving, and continually compelling, with two lead characters who I cannot wait to see brought to life by the extraordinary talents of Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack.

"With Harry Wootliff in the director’s chair, audiences are in for six incredible hours of drama."