The character of Joan Hannington, a London jewel thief, has been brought to life by international actress Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Staircase) in a new six-part ITV series written by acclaimed screenwriter Anna Symon (The Essex Serpent, Mrs Wilson) and directed by BAFTA award-winner Richard Laxton (Rain Dogs, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Mrs Wilson).
Mother. Lover. Liar. Thief.
Joan, coming soon to ITV1.#Joan pic.twitter.com/NQHkVhk2jk
— ITV (@ITV) June 26, 2024
Inspired by the real Joan Hannington and certain events from her life, this exhilarating and emotional series opens with Joan, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her twenties who is deeply scarred and vulnerable – she is a devoted mother to her six-year-old daughter Kelly but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter.
Adopting new identities and making new acquaintances along the way, Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief – she embarks on a thrilling and high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit while driven by her desire to care for her daughter and create a secure home for them both.
Stars
Sophie Turner, who recently separated from husband Joe Jonas, stars alongside Frank Dillane (Renegade Nell, Fear the Walking Dead, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) as Boisie, a London antique dealer. Kirsty J. Curtis (Rise of the Footsoldier, Match Not Found, Harlots) plays Nancy, Joan’s older sister and a salon worker, while Gershwyn Eustache Junior (A Spy Among Friends, I May Destroy You, Top Boy) portrays Albie, an old acquaintance of Boisie who has made a new life in Spain with his wife Val played by Laura Aikman (Archie, Gavin & Stacey, Breeders).
Other actors joining the series include Nick Blood (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Safe), Jack Greenlees (Strike, Harlots), Alex Blake (The Crown, Chernobyl), Caroline Faber (Grantchester, Berlin Station) and Dorothy Atkinson (The Gold, Stonehouse).
Filming for the series began in May 2023 in Herne Bay, Kent, and also took place in Birmingham, Leamington Spa, and Malvern, Worcestershire. The series will be broadcast in the UK on ITVX, the streaming platform of ITV, in September 2024, and will air on The CW in the US on October 2, 2024, as part of its 2024–25 television season.
Joan Hannington tells her own story in the autobiography Joan, due to be published by Penguin in September.
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