Penelope Wilton, Sophie Rundle, Angela Griffin and Sharon Rooney star as four women striving to find happiness and fulfillment in the new drama, “Brief Encounters.”

The frank, fresh and funny six-part drama from CPL Productions is set in the early ‘80s and also stars Peter Wight, Don Gilet, Karl Davies, Will Merrick and Ben Bailey Smith.

Scroll down to the video section to watch and wonderful and funny feature on the making of “Brief Encounters”.

Sophie Rundle (“Peaky Blinders,” “Dickensian,” “Happy Valley,” “Episodes”) plays Steph who feels invisible until Ann Summers party planning comes into her life. It ignites the ambition she didn’t know she had and grows her confidence. Married to Terry, played by Karl Davies (“Happy Valley”) and with a young son, Steph strives to make something more of her life via new friendships and the excitement of her newfound career.

Penelope Wilton (“Downton Abbey,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”) plays Pauline. Pauline jumps in at the deep end when Steph, her cleaner, introduces her to the parties as a way to salve her loneliness. Pauline‘s sunny disposition hides a secret sadness. She and her husband, local butcher Brian, played by Peter Wight (“Our Zoo,” “The Paradise”) deeply love each other but their relationship has suffered whilst he’s concentrated on building his business. Through her relationship with the Ann Summers girls, Pauline steps out from the shadows.

Angela Griffin (“Lewis,” “Mount Pleasant,” “Waterloo Road”) plays Nita. A chance meeting between Nita and Steph in the school playground kick starts a sequence of events that will change both their lives. Nita is a mix of grit and warmth, struggling to run a household with a husband, Kieren, played by Don Gilet (“EastEnders,” “Holby City,” “55 Degrees North”) whom she adores but who frequently strays onto the wrong side of the law, despite his devotion to his family.

Sharon Rooney (“My Mad Fat Diary,” “Hector”) stars as young hairdresser, Dawn who has a lust for life. Although bubbly and outgoing, since her mother died she has been trapped into looking after her father and three brothers who take her for granted. The buzz of earning serious cash with the other women gives Dawn the incentive to finally realise her dreams with fiancé, Russell, the butcher’s apprentice played by Will Merrick (“The Rack Pack,” “Skins”).

Produced by BAFTA award winning indie CPL Productions, Brief Encounters is created and written by Fay Rusling and Oriane Messina (“Green Wing,” “Me & Mrs Jones”), and executive produced by CPL’s Arabella McGuigan and Danielle Lux alongside the writer-creators.

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