| The Cage | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime thriller |
| Screenplay by | Tony Schumacher |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Clare Shephard |
| Running time | 56-59 minutes |
| Production company | Element Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 26 April 2026 |
The Cage is a British five-part crime thriller television series from Tony Schumacher, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. The series premiered on BBC One on 26 April 2026 and was on the same day made available on the BBC iPlayer.
Synopsis
Two casino workers in Liverpool, Leanne and Matty realise they have both plotted to steal from the safe at their casino.[1]
Cast and characters
Members of the cast include:[2]
- Sheridan Smith as Leanne
- Michael Socha as Matty
- Barry Sloane
- Geraldine James
- Sue Jenkins as Shelagh
- Anton Bibby
- Freya Jones
- Sophie Mensah
- Abby Mavers
- Shaun Mason
- Louis Emerick
- Ian Puleston-Davies
- Julia Papp
- Katy Carmichael
- Dave Hart
- Eileen O'Brien
- Eithne Browne
- Mona Goodwin
Production
The series is written by Tony Schumacher and produced by Element Pictures. Hilary Martin, Christopher Aird, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are executing producers alongside Schumacher and Sheridan Smith, who leads the cast alongside Michael Socha. Lucy Richer is an executive producer for the BBC with Clare Shepherd as series producer.[3] The series is directed by Al Mackay.[4]
Filming for the five-part series took place in locations around Liverpool and Merseyside, including the Wirral, in the first part of 2025.[5][6]
Broadcast
The series began airing on BBC One and was made available on the BBC iPlayer on 26 April 2026.[7]
Reception
In a five-star review in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan described the series as "an astonishing, deeply angry, deeply moving state-of-the-nation piece merely masquerading as a mesmerising, perfectly paced and plotted thriller".[8] Metro's reviewer considered it to be "one of the most impressive British thrillers in years" and gave it four stars.[9] By contrast, the three-star review in The Independent concluded that "The Cage feels like its heroes: sweet and simple, not bad but not terribly good either."[10]
References
- ^ Dukes, Emma (16 May 2025). "BBC The Cage: Everything we know about new Sheridan Smith drama including Liverpool filming locations". Liverpool World. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Walter, Harriett (10 June 2025). "A new BBC crime drama! Sheridan Smith's "high-stakes" series reveals first look and exciting cast additions". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (24 March 2025). "Sheridan Smith confirmed for new Liverpool-set "high-stakes" BBC crime drama: Here's all the details". Digital Spy.
- ^ Dukes, Emma (14 May 2025). "Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha spotted filming new BBC drama The Cage in Liverpool". Liverpool World. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Warner, Sam (21 May 2025). "Sheridan Smith's "high energy" crime show from boss of BBC's The Responder is one to watch out for". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ McGrath, Rebecca (28 April 2025). "Filming for new BBC drama 'The Cage' to take place in Wirral". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Fear, Helen (24 March 2025). "The Cage on BBC One: New drama starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha is a 'high-stakes, high energy crime story'". TV Guide. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (26 April 2026). "The Cage review – an astonishing, deeply moving state-of-the-nation thriller". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ^ Miller, Adam (26 April 2026). "Sheridan Smith's The Cage is one of the most distinctive BBC thrillers in years". Metro. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ^ Hilton, Nick (26 April 2026). "The Cage review – Sheridan Smith is a hapless thief in Liverpool's dark underbelly". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2026.