Sarah Solemani adapts Jo Bloom's neo-Nazi thriller Ridley Road for new BBC drama

The drama tells the story of a young Jewish hairdresser who falls in love with a member of the 62 Group, a coalition of Jewish men who stood up to neo-Nazism in post-war Britain

By Francine Wolfisz October 1, 2020, 3:19 pm Edit

Francine Wolfisz was Features Editor for Jewish News.

Actress and award-winning writer Sarah Solemani has adapted Jo Bloom’s acclaimed novel Ridley Road for a new BBC thriller.

The four-part drama tells the story of a young Jewish hairdresser, Vivien Epstein (played by newcomer Aggi O’Casey) who falls in love with Jack (Tom Varey), a member of the 62 Group, a coalition of Jewish men who stood up against rising neo-Nazism in post-war Britain.

When Jack vanishes, she rejects her middle-class life in Manchester and joins the fight against fascism by infiltrating the NSM, a neo-Nazi movement becoming increasingly prominent in London.

The cast also includes Years and Years actor Rory Kinnear as Colin Jordan, leader of NSM; Eddie Marsan as hot-headed, sharp-witted cab driver Soly Malinovsky, leader of 62 Group; Tracy-Ann Oberman as Soly’s wife Nancy, who plays a crucial role in group operations; and Samantha Spiro as Vivien’s mother, Liza.

Solemani says: “A young hairdresser from Manchester makes an unlikely hero in this little-known slice of British history. But in these unprecedented times, it is the unlikely heroes whose stories are now worth telling.”