Written and created by BAFTA award-nominated Tony Schumacher (The Responder) and produced by Academy award-winning Element Pictures, a Fremantle company (Poor Things, Normal People), for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The Cage is a high-stakes, high energy crime story set within the world of a Liverpool casino with two unforgettable characters at its heart.
When Leanne (Sheridan Smith) and Matty (Michael Socha) discover they are both robbing from the safe at the inner-city casino they work in, their lives are set on a collision course; with each other, the local gangster they’re stealing from, and the police.
The Cage starts on Sunday 26 April from 6am on BBC iPlayer and 9pm on BBC One.
thecage@premiercomms.com
Meet the cast and creatives
Sheridan Smith (Leanne Chapel)
Leanne Chapel (Sheridan Smith) (Image: BBC / Element Pictures)
Why did you want to work on this project? What were your reactions reading through the scripts?
Tony Schumacher and I met about three years ago and he told me about this idea. He’d written The Responder and I knew he was an amazing writer. I was like, “oh my God, what a gift to work with him.” He told me about The Cage, and I thought that sounded incredible. I thought he’d forget about it because he’s so in demand, then he did another series of The Responder because it was such a success. So, I thought maybe The Cage won’t be made. Then he came to see me in a show, and he said, “Hey girl, it’s been greenlit!” I have to pinch myself that I’m doing it now. He’s an amazing scriptwriter, he’s done it all and he’s been an actor as well, so he gets all the layers of people.
Where do we find Leanne at the start of the story, and how do her and Matty’s lives become intertwined?
Leanne is a cashier at the casino and she’s a single mum. She cares for her Nanna who has dementia, she has a son of 17 and a daughter who’s 12. They’re losing their housing and Nanna has to go into care, so she’s in this turmoil. Matty is her co-worker at the casino, and they discover they’re both on the rob, which entwines their lives because they’re in it together then. It’s a bit Bonnie and Clyde-y, but in a really chaotic, bonkers way.
Leanne has a strong sense of vulnerability, but is also the strong matriarch of her family – how did you go about portraying these very different elements of her personality?
She is very vulnerable; she feels things deeply. But she’s also strong and she’s like a lioness when it comes to her family. Those two things come from the same place. I love getting to play the two sides of her and I want the audience to question what they would do in her situation.
Everyone’s kind of lying to each other, but they’re also not. They’re friends, but where do their loyalties lie? It’s so fast paced that each character and their stories are interwoven with one another. Leanne also has an excellent poker face. When you see her at home with her family, you see those vulnerabilities on display and the anxiety that’s within her. But then when she’s in the casino, the mask is on and it’s all smiles. The whole show is like one giant poker game.
Leanne’s ambitions go beyond the casino. What drives her the most?
Leanne’s family is what drives her the most. They’re going to lose their house, and she just wants dignity and security for her family – that’s all that matters to her in life.
How did you prepare for the role? Did you ask writer Tony Schumacher, a former police officer in Liverpool, for any tips/advice?
I am obsessed with Tony, but it is all there on the page. He’s always there at the end of the phone if you want to ring him or ask any questions. In terms of research, we had a day at a casino, and some of our supporting artists already had croupier experience, because you can’t teach that! It’s such a skill. I tried to learn a bit, but I wasn’t very good! It’s such an intense environment too, with all the cameras and the rules. Even just replicating it on set is intense. You don’t know what’s real and what’s not.
Will audiences be supportive of Leanne throughout her struggles?
I love getting to play complicated, multifaceted people that have got lots of different layers. Hopefully because of what Leanne’s going through, you’re rooting for her. And for Matty as well, because he’s such a chaotic mess. We’re very much asking what the audience would do in their situation.
Who plays Matty and what does he bring to the role?
Matty is played by Michael Socha, who is a mate of mine – I’ve known Michael for ages, but we’ve never actually worked together. Leanne and Matty have this friendship where they take each other for granted – they do really care about each other, but they wind each other up and get on each other’s nerves.
Michael’s got funny bones, so I’ve got to try and be the straight one, but once I’m gone, I’m gone and I can’t stop laughing. Sometimes I have to look beyond him instead of looking at him. He’s a brilliant actor. Matty is another beautifully complex character, which has been so well written. And it’s the same with all the characters – Barry’s character, Gary, is a hard man, but he’s got so many layers and vulnerabilities, and there’s a reason that he’s got into being a gangster.
What was it like shooting in Liverpool?
Liverpool is my favourite city. Everyone makes me so welcome. The crew were amazing. Clare Shepherd and Al Mackay, our producer and director, created the most amazing set. It’s my favorite job.
People are so friendly in Liverpool. We were filming one day, and people were bringing out cupcakes and coming out in their pyjamas going, “hey girl, come and have a cup of tea at ours”. I do feel like an adopted Scouser.
What can audiences expect from The Cage?
It’s high energy – full of love and laughter, but it might also break your heart.
Michael Socha (Matty Flynn)
Matty Flynn (Michael Socha) (Image: BBC / Element Pictures)
Tell us a bit about The Cage.
The Cage is a fast-paced crime drama set in and around a Liverpool casino with a beautiful heart, centered around love, family and desperation. The cage is the place in the casino where you cash up, collect your dough and the money is counted. The script is brilliant and it’s ultra-fast.
Where do we find Matty at the start of the story?
Matty is the manager of the Envoy Casino. He’s also addicted to gambling and is in quite a lot of debt from it. He’s an alcoholic. He’s just trying to keep his head above water at the beginning, and it feels like the whole world is against him, both inside and outside the casino. He’s not doing himself any favours. Everybody is against Matty, including himself.
What’s his relationship like with his daughter, Emily?
His relationship with his daughter is unconventional. He doesn’t live in the family unit, and he lets her down a lot. There’s an understanding between them – as sad as it sounds, Emily knows he’s not the most reliable. She sees a lot of sadness in him and sympathises with him, which isn’t really the daughter’s job. Matty loves his daughter, he’s just incapable of being a reliable dad.
What is Matty’s relationship with Leanne like?
Matty’s relationship with Leanne is quite a professional one, but friendly. They catch each other robbing from the casino and understand that they both need the money for their own reasons, and they decide to carry on robbing together.
What has it been like to work with Sheridan Smith?
Sheridan is wicked. We have a right good laugh. She’s very kind and very hard-working. I’ve never worked with her before, but she just seems to light up the room – everyone loves being with her.
What preparation did you do for the role?
I had a really long conversation with Tony [Schumacher], and he was talking about his experiences and experiences of his friends, and I also shared mine. From that I could tell I’ve got Matty, I understand him and I know how to play him.
Was there anything surprising that you learnt from Tony?
There’s not a job under the sun that Tony hasn’t done. When it comes to being a creative person, it’s so important that they have lived a bit of life. Being a great storyteller like that obviously comes from experiencing life.
Were you familiar with the casino world before taking the role?
Once I got the role, I visited the casino a little bit and looking at the betting apps. I realised the thing with a gambling addiction is that there’s a little glimmer of hope. With a drug addiction and an alcohol addiction, you kind of know that without any intervention or help, it’s probably going to end badly. But with gambling, there’s hope. You think, “I could get out of this horrific hole with just one spin or one good game of blackjack or roulette”. It’s all down to luck. What’s so dangerous about gambling is that that little bit of hope is enough for you to keep piling on the dough.
Barry Sloane (Gary Packer)
(Image: BBC/Element Pictures)
Why did you want to work on this project?
When I knew Tony was doing a new show, I was interested straight away. Another friend of mine had said, “there’s this show coming, The Cage, you should make sure you’re in that conversation,” so we had our eyes open for it. When I first read the character of Gary, I thought, “I know this fella”.
What was your initial reaction when reading the scripts?
It’s amazing. Tony’s world building is incredible. Something Tony does really well is avoiding the glorification of his complex characters, like Gary who’s a drug dealer. He shows the middle management level of it, the mundanity, the fear, and the fact that someone in this position, running a legitimate business, would probably do quite well. There’s added stress when people are trying to kill you because of the job. There’s a love story in there as well as everything else which comes out of left field.
Where do we find Gary at the start of the story?
We find Gary when his mask is beginning to crack – outwardly he seems very much in control, but under the surface he’s screaming. He’s built this man over a period of years, this image, and it’s all starting to fall apart. He’s basically fighting the world but losing himself while doing it. It’s all about control for him, and can he keep everything that he’s fought so hard to put in place?
He is many things at once. He can be charming and kind, or very intense and animalistic when necessary. I want viewers to question which is the real him, because he’s always shifting. It’s almost like a split personality. Even Gary isn’t sure who the real him is.
Gary is a very dangerous man who likes to keep everyone in check but we do also see elements of a softer side. How did you work on and portray this juxtaposition when playing the character?
I spoke a lot with Al, our director, and with Claire, the producer, early on – they’ve been really collaborative. Whenever you take on a role which is deemed the villain or indulges in the macabre elements of a story, for me it’s very important that I worked out what his drive was. From Gary’s perspective, he’s not doing anything wrong, and so I needed to know from the beginning what the driving force behind every decision was.
How would you describe Gary’s relationship with his mother and Leanne?
His relationship with his mother Nancy is the key to everything with Gary. In his eyes, she created this monster. Despite having a fairly privileged and affluent upbringing, his childhood lacked love and attention and so that starting block is why he chose the line of work that he did because you must notice him. He’s a man that will be noticed and will be seen and I suppose underneath all that is that child who wanted to be seen and so putting that into this character has been an interesting undercurrent.
What sometimes starts off as control quickly becomes something else and he notices a kindred spirit in Leanne. She’s felt pain in the same way as he has, and they see aspects of one another in each other, which takes them by utter surprise and creates an interesting love story in the middle of this crime caper. Me and Sheridan have a great rapport, and we filmed one of the longest two-handers that I’ve ever done in my career. It was 15-minute takes in a carvery, just two of us talking!
What was it like shooting in Liverpool?
Shooting at home, the city of my birth, is huge. I’ve been very fortunate in my career to shoot all over the world and travel around. That’s wonderful, but there’s great pride in me as a Scouser to perform stories with Liverpool at its heart. It’s a city that’s built on defiance and this show has that in spades.
Geraldine James (Nancy Packer)
(Image: BBC/Element Pictures)
Who is your character, Nancy Packer?
Nancy is the owner of the casino – she’s an extraordinary person who lost her husband about eight years ago, and she’s not able to let the past go. She can’t quite get herself into the present tense. She’s quite complicated and very emotional. She’s a good person at heart but has had quite a tough life.
How would you describe Nancy’s relationships with her son, Gary, as well as Matty and Leanne?
Nancy has a complicated relationship with her son, Gary, because of their strained history together surrounding Gary’s father. It wasn’t an easy childhood. She was very busy, and she can be quite ferocious. She was trying to keep life going for her and her husband. Gary wasn’t in the way, but she didn’t view him as something that she was going to sit at home and cuddle, because she had to get on with life and make it work. She had to find the way through to keep normality amidst a very difficult, sometimes emotionally challenging, even violent history. Nancy is touched by Leanne and Matty in a way that she’s not touched by her son, which is terribly sad. She is both proud and lonely.
What can audiences expect from The Cage?
It’s a very surprising show because you think, “I know what this is. It’s a casino. I know what’s going to happen.” No, you don’t! And that’s great. Audiences can expect laughs because certain people in it are hilariously funny.
Sophie Mensah (Detective Sergeant Fen Ning)
(Image: BBC/Element Pictures)
Tell us about your character, DS Fen Ning?
Fen is a Detective Sergeant who suspects criminal activity in the casino. For some reason she has it in for the casino owner’s son, Gary, and she’s willing to put everything on the line to get him, even if it means breaking the law to get the job done. She’s fiery, tenacious and scouse.
Tell us about filming in Liverpool…
We filmed in and around Liverpool City Centre. I was so excited to be filming in my hometown, this is where I grew up. We even filmed a scene in Chinatown where my grandmother came to in the 1940s from Shanghai, so it felt like a serendipitous moment for me. It’s also lovely to see Liverpool as Liverpool, rather than just being used as a location.
What were your first reactions to the script?
I was so excited to see that it was set in Liverpool because I don’t often get to read scripts that are set there. Also, that there was a Chinese-Liverpudlian central to the story, because I never see that either!
What can people expect from the show?
Audiences can expect to go on a journey with the characters, everybody’s got something going on – you’re going to see them try and hide their true colours. There are some unexpected laughs, too!
What can you tell us about working with your fellow cast members?
Michael is the person I’ve had most of my scenes with. He is such a fun person, we had so many giggles, and I don’t think he knows how funny he is. It’s really thrilling to watch him and work with him. Sheridan is such a class act, so generous and so kind. She’s a real leader and a wonderful person to work with.
Freya Jones (Emily Flynn)
(Image: BBC/Element Pictures)
Who is Emily?
Emily is Matty’s daughter. They have a difficult relationship, but there’s a lot of love there and they have a big, shared love of music. They’re very similar in a way. The Cage is their story of how they reconnect; their relationship goes on quite a big journey.
What has it been like to work with Michael Socha?
Michael plays Matty, Emily’s dad. He’s lovely, I’ve been such a big fan of his – getting to work with him so closely was quite amazing. This is my first proper big role on a TV job, and getting to watch him was great. He’s so natural and very funny, it’s been quite hard to stay serious. He’s a real master at what he does and getting to learn from him has been a cool experience.
What has it been like working with Sheridan Smith?
Sheridan has been amazing; she’s a big inspiration, and getting to act with her and see what she does was incredible. She’s really encouraging as well, and so lovely. I couldn’t have asked for nicer people to have had a first job with.
Why should people watch The Cage?
The Cage is something you wouldn’t want to miss. I loved Tony’s writing and The Responder was amazing. The Cage has that special quality as well. It’s filmed around Liverpool, which is like a character in itself.
It’s full of heart and there’s a character for everyone to connect to as well. Tony’s writing is so authentic, and, especially for me and Anton Bibby, who plays Thomas, it’s been so cool to explore these young people and share different sides of life, which you don’t get to see on telly that much.
What has it been like working with director Al Mackay?
He’s incredible. He’s very thoughtful and kind and it’s made this experience for me really special. He treated me like a real professional even though it’s quite new to me. I just wanted to do Tony’s words and the character justice. Al got the best out of everyone.
Anton Bibby (Thomas)
(Image: BBC/Element Pictures)
Who is Thomas?
Thomas is Leanne’s son. He’s not really what you would usually see from a stereotypical seventeen-year-old Scouse lad. He’s very vulnerable at times. He isn’t quite with the crowd that he would look up to. The way I describe Thomas is that if he was brought up in a wealthier family or a different place, he’d be very clever and maybe go on to do something quite academic and become successful. But because of where he is, he’s pulled back by circumstances and financial issues. That sums up their family. What’s special for me is I haven’t seen a young character like Thomas so fleshed out. So, for me to play such a complex character – is a gift. I think there’s a lot to be said about the relationship between a boy at this age and his mother, especially in tough times.
They’re a family that are, at the heart of it, good and moral people who just want a peaceful life. But the surroundings that they have and the situations that they come up against force them to stay where they are and stay who they are, even though that’s maybe not who they are. They’re good, vulnerable people that are sometimes pushed to do bad things.
What was your initial reaction when reading the scripts?
I was blown away by how much detail was in it. It was like a novel. As soon as I finished the scripts, I knew Thomas, and I felt the same with several of the characters. That’s a credit to Tony’s writing, he creates real people and real relationships. When you connect to a character from the get-go, it makes your job as an actor a lot easier – that doesn’t come around often, so to have a script like that, which has just got everything you need, is fantastic.
Who was your partner in crime during production?
I can’t speak highly enough of how Sheridan’s been with me. This is my first job, I only graduated from drama school the year before filming this. She welcomed me with open arms, like an equal and a fellow colleague, which was nice. I asked if I could meet her for a coffee before we began filming, and we shared ideas. She even wrote some things down that I said, which I really respected. Her work ethic and how she treats others is really admirable for an actress of her calibre.
What do you think will attract viewers to The Cage?
Everyone who watches The Cage will have a unique reaction to it – some of the best art often holds something up to the viewer and asks – how does this make you feel? This is a great example of that. It shows you complex characters, relationships, thoughts and feelings and more importantly, challenges you with how you feel about them as the story develops.
What was it like working with director Al Mackay?
He has been fascinating and fantastic. He’s really, really calm in the way he leads a set because he knows what he wants. He’s got things out of me that I really didn’t think I could do – he’ll just pull it out of you gently and put you on your way in a really nice manner. The people leading the ship on this production have truly set a shining example, and Al and Arní our DoP have really led that atmosphere, which is just fantastic.
It was also special to be at home the whole time as well. To be so involved and, in my city, just feels immensely lucky.
Tony Schumacher – Writer
(image: BBC/Element Pictures)
What is The Cage?
The Cage is a drama set in Liverpool and is about two people who get into something way out of their depth and just hold each other in the storm, becoming even better friends.
How did the project come about?
The project came about in 2020. It was before The Responder was filmed. We had the green light on The Responder and people were starting to ask, “who’s this fella from Liverpool?” And I got asked to go to a meeting with two incredible people who asked if I had any ideas. I’d always wanted to do something in a casino. Then over the course of half an hour we come up with the really basic outline of The Cage.
Why did you want to make this story?
I used to work on cruise ships. It was a tough job, and it was a hard life in front of the mast selling underpants. The people who always looked glamorous on cruise ships are the people who worked in the casino. I always fancied doing that job, but I got a grade four in my CSE math’s, so it was never going to happen. Plus, I’m really fumbly with cards. But I’ve always been fascinated with casinos, and I’ve also got a thing where I’m terrified to gamble. I know I’d be a bad gambler, but I also know that there’s a little part of me that might fall into that hole. I feel like I’m getting the joy of playing with something that scares me a little bit.
What was your writing process bringing The Cage together?
I’d finished The Responder, which is quite intense – I felt like I’d done another five years in the police. Coming out of that, I wanted to do something that made me laugh and made me happy. One of the things I loved about The Responder was the characters who would make you smile in adversity. They were always the ones who really lifted my spirits when I was writing. So, to lean into Matty and Leanne as people who can’t help themselves, but they fight adversity and smile was the best part of it for me. My process was just spending time with those two people who I love.
Tell us about how you balance the comedy with the drama…
Comedy and drama, to me, are absolutely the same thing. Comedy is something where you laugh and you get a buzz; you get a little bit of excitement. When I’m in the middle of drama, in real life or not, I get the same buzz, and I get that when I’m writing as well. I both sob my arse out and laugh when I’m writing. In adversity, people look for lightness and laughter, that’s how you form bonds with people.
Where is the series set and why is it the perfect location?
The show is set in Liverpool because Liverpool is one of the greatest cities in the world. It used to irk me that Liverpool had become a bit of a set, as opposed to a location. It’d become a backdrop for New York, for London, Birmingham. That’s amazing because it brings loads of jobs, but I like the idea of shining the light on the city itself. We’ve got some incredible talent here, in front and behind the cameras, and it’s just giving them an opportunity to work in the fields that they grew up in. It looks beautiful – Al Mackay who directed has got such a cinematic eye. It’s great that Liverpool isn’t having to put on a false nose and a pair of glasses. It can be itself. And that’s why I wanted it to be in Liverpool.
How did the casting of Sheridan come about?
Leanne is played by Sheridan Smith, who is just incredible. I met Sheridan very early on in the process of putting this thing together and it was really funny because somebody said to go for a coffee with Sheridan and I went. I thought I was begging her to be in the show, and she was begging me to be in the show, too. The pair of us were just begging each other for about an hour and then realised we wanted to work together. The entire country knows Sheridan is amazing, but she will surprise people in this part. She is absolutely one of, if not the best British actress, working at the moment.
And Michael Socha?
Matty is played by Michael Socha, who is just amazing. The first time I spoke to Michael, we’d been on the phone for three and a half hours straight, and I feel like I know him now. He’s this super cool, really handsome guy who’s got it all going on and he just morphed into this character in a second. His walk, his talk, the way he holds his face, his shoulders.
What is their chemistry like together?
Michael and Sheridan’s chemistry is magic. Even watching those two in the first read-through, it was like watching Djokovic and Federer playing tennis. There was something there that was happening, and everyone in the room started smiling, then laughing.
Al Mackay – Director
Why did you want to be involved in this project and what was your reaction when reading the scripts?
It is a unique script that put character over plot and had a real distinctive voice. I read a lot of scripts, and Tony’s episode one for The Cage had a healthy disregard for convention, which really attracted me to it. It just didn’t do the things normal scripts do, and was surprising, entertaining, and moving, which is what you’re looking for as a director. It’s quite an unusual story. It’s about two people that work at a casino in central Liverpool. Both are at a low point and are very desperate for different reasons.
Michael Socha’s character Matty is a gambling addict who works at a casino, so it’s not the ideal job. And Sheridan’s character, Leanne, is a single mother who has a tight family, but her house is in the name of her grandmother, who has dementia. Once she goes into care, they’re going to lose the house. So, both characters are stealing from the casino that they work in. Their catalyst is they catch each other on the rob and then they form this sort of unusual duo. Meanwhile, you learn that the casino isn’t all it looks to be, and the son of the casino owner is a big-time criminal in Liverpool, and he uses the casino as his money-laundering operation.
What was your overall directorial ambition for this show?
I wanted to do the script justice and wanted to create something that felt unique, that really played it from the characters’ perspectives and wasn’t as conventional as most TV. I wanted to steer clear from the social-realist aesthetic. I didn’t want it to feel gritty and urban; I wanted it to feel quite heightened and create a little world of our own for The Cage because the characters are so bold, and the stuff that happens is so bonkers that requires it to be elevated slightly. At the same time, I wanted it to feel grounded and real, so you identify with the characters.
How did you work with the other Heads of Departments to set the tone for the series?
Árni Filippusson, who’s our DoP wanted to use hard light and embrace the sunshine. We were blessed with incredible weather up in Liverpool, so we really wanted to get away from the moody aspects of it, and to have something that wasn’t depressing. Even though everything that’s happening to them is oppressive and stressful, we still wanted to leave room for humour. We found that this hard sunlight in the domestic environments and the places outside the casino really gave us that feeling. Then inside the casino, we pushed the cinematic element of it to make sure the thriller beats really made you feel the jeopardy was there.
What was it like working with Sheridan Smith, Michael Socha and the rest of the cast?
I never felt that Sheridan was acting – it always came very naturally to her with Leanne. And both her and Michael sparked off each other. They have this amazing ability just to make everything feel very authentic. Sheridan’s an absolute tour de force of acting. With Tony’s writing, it’ll make you laugh, it’ll be tense and it will be something that a gut punch of emotion all in one scene. You need very talented actors to make that work.
With Michael, I knew him from when he was about sixteen, I met him on one of my first jobs, and Michael also knew Sheridan from way back. That set the foundation of trust quite early on. Michael’s got funny bones, but there’s so much emotion and pathos in his eyes. Even though Matty is making all these terrible decisions, you really feel for him.
Our bad guy, Gary, is so flawed that you end up feeling for him even though he’s unforgivable. We have a lot of first-time performers like Anton Bibby as Thomas and Freya Jones as Emily who were just incredible. We’re so blessed to have such talented young actors, and Geraldine James who plays Nancy and Eileen O’Brien who plays Nanna, too.
What do you think will attract viewers to this series?
If you like crime dramas but you don’t want to go to a dark place, this is the perfect show.
How does filming in Liverpool lend itself to the series?
Liverpool was such a good place to film. Being by the sea with the big blue skies gave the show a big part of its appearance. Being by the River Mersey plays into the story – Matty’s past is heavily linked to the Mersey and his house overlooks it which gives an incredible sense of place. Liverpool has a very cinematic feel.
What are some of the challenges of filming in a casino set, and how are these overcome?
Fortunately, there was a disused casino in the centre of town. We had the framework and then it was just a case for Paul [Cripps], our production designer, to fill it. We didn’t want it to feel like a generic high street casino. We needed to feel like a family run casino with history – a little dated, in a way. We had lots of supporting actors and people with croupier experience. Everyone knew what they were doing and I could point the camera wherever I wanted and it felt like the real deal which is a lot of the work done for you. The only issue was no natural daylight. As casinos are designed, it’s slightly disorientating. You get a bit of cabin fever when you’re in there for two weeks!
Christopher Aird – Executive Producer
What initially piqued your interest in producing The Cage?
I’m a huge fan of Tony Schumacher’s work – The Responder was one of the best shows of the last few years. What Tony does is takes genre and then do something completely different with it. He does the unexpected, but not through convoluted plotting. He gives you the unexpected because his characters are so real. And in real life, nothing ever really goes like it does in a TV drama. The Cage is a crime show and it’s about people stealing from a casino, but it didn’t do any of the normal things that a show like that would do. First and foremost, The Cage is a character piece. It’s unpredictable because real people are unpredictable. We really understand how difficult and challenging the characters’ lives are, how much of a cage they are in, and that allows us to really sympathise with them, even though they are technically criminals.
What was your reaction when reading the scripts?
Tony is a unique writer. I’ve never worked with someone who lives his character’s lives so acutely. There aren’t many people who make you feel so plugged into the characters, which is probably informed by the fact that Tony has lived several lives. He was a night duty police officer for ten years. Before that, he drove a taxi at night and has worked on cruise liners, at a recycling center… He’s done all sorts. What he carries with him is a genuine insight into the way people live.
What was your overall ambition for the series?
What I immediately felt about him for The Cage is he would understand the world and would have an authentic window into the world but would also want to elevate it just enough. We spoke a lot in the beginning on how to land it so that it always keeps its feet on the ground but isn’t necessarily too kitchen-sink gritty. Once Al came on board, there were just lots of little synchronicities – people were discussing Michael Socha for the part and then it turns out that Michael is one of Al’s best friends. You go, “this just feels right!” It feels harmonious.
One of the early decisions that we made on The Cage was to go to Shaheen Baig, our casting director, who has worked with Element Pictures several times before. She is extraordinary – a brilliant casting director, arguably one of the best on the planet. Shaheen works from a place of truth and unpacks why a certain actor that you’re discussing may or may not be right for a part with a depth of knowledge that few possess on the level she does.
Could you tell us a bit about how Sheridan and Michael were cast, and what they bring to their roles?
Sheridan Smith is an extraordinary person. You quickly get this feeling that you’ve known her for a very long time. She’s so emotionally available and honest, she makes it look easy, but I know she works extremely hard. She lights up the set as a leader of your troupe. If you’ve got a good feeling on the floor, it comes across in the material. Sheridan absolutely created this positive, warm, happy feeling right in the middle of the company.
I love Michael Socha, he’s such a versatile actor. Michael inhabited Matty from the very beginning. He changed himself physically. I remember we watched the first day’s rushes; Tony phoned me up straight away and went, “Oh my God, Michael is Matty. This is exactly what I was looking for.” Michael said to me, “I’ve never been asked to play a part like Matty where he’s purposeless in a way, but it’s because he’s really damaged and feeling the world keenly”. He’s just got an awful lot of soul. One of my favorite scenes in the entire show is in episode two where Michael’s character Matty has a phone conversation with his ex-girlfriend – it’s just heartbreaking, all because of Michael’s performance.
What do the locations and sets bring to the story?
Liverpool has got such a vibe. Tony’s life is so entwined with Liverpool that The Cage feels very authentic. We were shooting in locations that those characters really would live in. Ninety per cent of the locations we shot were found locations. The Cage will make you feel like people do look out for each other, that when the going gets tough, when the chips are down, we are ultimately there for one another.
What are some of the challenges of filming in a casino set, and how are these overcome?
We’ve seen the Hollywood versions of casinos like in Casino and Ocean’s Eleven, and we were very clear from the beginning this would not be that – this would be a sticky floor version of that. We worked hard with our brilliant production design team to create a look that felt superficially glamorous that you get in any city in the UK, people going out and having a good time – we really wanted to emphasise that at the beginning of the show. In a way, a casino is a stage – behind the scenes, it’s not glamorous at all.
Hilary Martin – Executive Producer
What initially piqued your interest in producing The Cage?
Before Tony wrote The Responder, Simon Judd and I read a script of his and knew that he was going to be a voice of a generation. I knew that he wrote from the heart and that he had a perception about life and humour, pain, pathos and all the things that I love. While developing something else, we got talking about gambling and the psychology of what that meant. He had experience of working on cruise ships and people that worked in the casino there, people that gambled there, so we began developing a series set in a casino built around gambling, and from that, Matty and Leanne were born.
What was your overall ambition for the series?
I love that it’s completely original. It’s set in a casino, where you’ve got people gambling and having the night of their lives, or the worst night of their lives. However, we’re viewing everything from the perspective of the people that work there and we’re very much in their lives.
Tell us about how Sheridan and Michael were cast, and what they bring to their roles…
Tony and I have been long-time fans of Sheridan. I’ve been lucky enough to see her on stage and had this absolute fascination of how she pulls you in and connects with an audience. When Tony talked about the fact that she was in his head for this I was delighted. Sheridan was meant for this role. She inhabited Leanne in such a naturalistic way.
Michael came a little later in the process, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. One of the things I love most about this show is the beauty of the roller coaster of unexpected friendship. There’s no path that you expect. The story takes you to special places, and their relationship is so heartfelt and warm.
What was it like to film on a casino set?
The casino set is built by our designer Paul Cripps, and it’s a haven. It’s dimly lit and at the same time brightly illuminated. You’re getting to see behind the scenes of how a casino is run. You see both Leanne and Matty’s public personas and their interior lives and struggles, which creates an inclusive atmosphere for an audience.
What did director Al Mackay bring to The Cage?
His mood board for the show blew me away. So thoughtful, so visual. Any show produced by Element Pictures has a high visual and tonal standard, and he absolutely nailed it. You knew that he would find the epic and the beautiful in the small and the mundane. That felt right tonally for The Cage, but also the way he talked about character, he talked about them as real people straight away. The Cage is fully authored by Al’s directorial voice, which is quite rare to have.
What do you hope audiences will take away from The Cage?
It’s a place you want to be. It’s people you want to be with. A feeling of real life, real struggle, real heart, real hope, real striving, believing that the world can be a better place if you spend time with these two characters.
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