麻豆约拍

Introduction by Writer/Creator Pete McTighe

Growing up, I was heavily influenced by female ensemble dramas like Widows, Tenko and She’s Out, and I’ve always gravitated towards writing complex female-led drama series. After finishing a prison drama that ran for 8 years, I was craving something different - something just as characterful and surprising, but less claustrophobic and with its own strong identity. And ever since I moved to Wales, I’d been eager to write a world-class drama set here, taking advantage of our epic locations and incredible talent both on-screen and behind the camera. The Pact is the fusion of those intentions.

The Pact is a show that explores secrets and their consequences, and examines the fragile nature of trust, through the prism of a complex, relatable friendship group. Yes, it’s a thriller, with big twists and surprises, but first and foremost it’s a character piece - so it was important to me to take time to drill down into each of our key characters and properly explore the impact of a terrible moral dilemma on each one.

Anna, our anchor and the moral heart of this friendship group, is married to a police officer, which greatly intensifies her dilemma. For Nancy, Jack’s unexpected death triggers massive questions about her own life and faith. Cat, who has turned her life around, is suddenly facing her worst nightmare - a potential return to prison - while for Louie, Jack’s aunt, his death unravels an horrific family legacy. The nature of family is something we explore throughout the series - both the family we’re born into and the family of friends we choose - as well as the cost of deceiving the people we love.

Our diverse, cinematic Welsh locations are almost characters in themselves; the beauty and bleakness of the woods, the honeyed warmth of the brewery, the cool grandeur of the Evans mansion and the scale and menace of the looming viaducts add both production value and atmosphere.

It was really important to me that The Pact was rooted in a progressive world, with well-rounded characters who aren’t defined by their gender, race, class or sexuality. As a gay man, I live in a relatively safe liberal bubble of my family, friends and colleagues – but I’m all too aware that the world outside that bubble often isn’t so accommodating. So it’s important to me that, in my work, I present the wider audience with characters who might challenge their perceptions, who reflect my experiences and views with regards to gender and sexuality in particular. Normalising queer relationships is a really important aspect of my writing and always has been - there are several LGBTQ+ characters in The Pact and their sexuality is deliberately not the story – it’s just a part of who they are. 

It was also important to me that the show provided some relief from the pandemic we are all living through, but it didn’t feel right to ignore what we’ve all experienced this past year. So, our story is set slightly in the future, where most of the population is vaccinated and life is returning to ‘normal’ – but for our characters, the stress and anxiety of 2020 and the various lockdowns has cast a psychological shadow that informs some of their behaviour and decisions.

Shooting these episodes during the autumn and winter of 2020 was extremely challenging for all of us but we had an exceptional cast and crew - like none I’ve ever worked with before - who pulled together in extraordinary circumstances, under strict safety protocols, to bring this story to screen. I’m really proud of the resulting six episodes which are a testament to their hard work, faith and talent.

Audiences can also join a virtual panel and Q&A with cast and crew on 13 May.To sign up to attend the event, you can register at 麻豆约拍 Shows and Tours or you can watch live on .

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Series synopsis

When a young brewery boss is found dead, a chain of events is triggered that draws four of his employees; Anna (Laura Fraser; Breaking Bad), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh; The A Word, Broadchurch), Louie (Eiry Thomas; Keeping Faith) and Cat (Heledd Gwynn; Ordinary Lies) into a fragile pact of silence, bound by a secret that will change their lives forever.

Anna's police officer husband Max (Jason Hughes; Three Girls) investigates Jack’s (Aneurin Barnard; Dunkirk) unexpected death alongside his fierce superior DS Holland (Rakie Ayola; Noughts+Crosses), unaware that his own wife and her best friends are at the heart of a conspiracy. While brewery worker Tish (Abbie Hern; The Twilight Zone) becomes increasingly suspicious of her co-workers, Jack's estranged father Arwel (Eddie Marsan; Ray Donovan) struggles to conceal dark family secrets.

What really happened that fateful night?

Also starring Mark Lewis-Jones (The Crown), Adrian Edmondson (Save Me), Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin) and Aled Ap Steffan (Gangs Of London). The Pact is a gripping, cinematic contemporary thriller written and created by Pete McTighe (Doctor Who, A Discovery Of Witches) and directed by Eric Styles (Hidden) & Rebecca Johnson (Honeytrap, The Flash) for the 麻豆约拍. The series is the first commission for Cardiff-based Little Door Productions.

 

Cast list

Anna - Laura Fraser

Nancy - Julie Hesmondhalgh

Louie - Eiry Thomas

Cat - Heledd Gwynn

Arwel - Eddie Marsan

Max - Jason Hughes

Jack - Aneurin Barnard

Tamsin - Gabrielle Creevy

Ryan - Aled ap Steffan

Tish - Abbie Hern

DS Holland - Rakie Ayola

Richard - Adrian Edmondson

Gareth - Richard Elis

Mandy - Sophie Melville

Gwen - Gillian Elisa

Mark - Jason May

DC Griffiths - Ben McGregor

DC Anford - Alexandria Riley

Harri - Owain Gunn

Father Martin - Mark Lewis Jones

Hospital Doctor - Oliver Gatz

Dylan - Richard Elfyn

Morgan - Rebecca Hayes

Chris Skinner - Geraint Todd

Steff - Kate Morgan Jones

Rose - Elin Phillips

Crew list

Writer/Creator - Pete McTighe

Executive Producers - Elwen Rowlands, Pete McTighe, Hayley Manning

Directors - Eric Styles (Eps 1-3), Rebecca Johnson (Eps 4-6)

Producer - Catrin Lewis Defis

Line Producer - Nancy Bray

Director of Photography - Will Baldy

Production Designer - Dafydd Shurmer

Costume Designer - Ray Holman

Hair & Makeup Designer - Roseann Samuel

Editors - Caroline Limmer (Eps 1-3), Will Oswald (Eps 4-6)

Music by - Mac Quayle

Casting Director - Sarah Crowe