''The Doll Factory'' is a period thriller television series based on the novel of the same name by

Elizabeth Macneal Elizabeth Sarah Macneal (born 16 October 1988) is a British writer, author of the award-winning book ''The Doll Factory'', described as a "lush Victorian fiction". Life Elizabeth was born in Edinburgh on 16 October 1988 and is the oldest of four ...

, adapted by Charley Miles for Paramount+. The series premiered on 27 November 2023, with all episodes released on 1 December 2023.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Nell Hudson Nell Rose Hudson (born 19 November 1990) is an English actress best known for her recurring roles as Laoghaire MacKenzie in the Starz television drama '' Outlander'' and Nancy Skerrett in the ITV period drama ''Victoria''. Early life Hudson ...

as Clarissa Frost, Louis' sister * Aysha Kala as Ananya * Liadán Dunlea as Flick, a past love of Silas' * Hannah Onslow as

Lizzie Siddal Elizabeth Eleanor Siddall (25 July 1829 – 11 February 1862), better known as Elizabeth Siddal, was an English artist, poet, and artists' model. Significant collections of her artworks can be found at Wightwick Manor and the Ashmolean. Siddal ...

, Pre-Raphaelite model * Nia Deacon as Evie, Albie's sister *

Alexandra Dowling Alexandra Dowling (born 1990), is an English actress best known for her lead role as Queen Anne in the BBC One historical action drama series ''The Musketeers'', which is based on the characters in ''The Three Musketeers'' by Alexandre Dumas. S ...

as Sylvia, Louis' wife *

Mali Harries Mali Rhys Harries (born 6 July 1976) is a Welsh television actress and presenter who has been in the television industry since 1989. She has appeared in several well-established TV series in Welsh and English, including ''Hinterland'', ''The Ind ...

as Moll * Charlotte Bate as Kathleen * Shane Lennon as Charles

Episodes

Production

In July 2022, it was announced the UK and Ireland wing of Paramount+ had commissioned a six-part adaptation of Macneal's novel from Buccaneer Media, with

Shinawil Shinawil (stylised as ShinAwiL) Productions is an Irish television production company. It was founded by producer Larry Bass and director Simon Gibney in 1999. It was acquired by Screentime (branded as Screentime ShinAwiL) as part of a deal to p ...

handling local production in Ireland. Charley Miles would adapt the novel, and Sacha Polak would direct the series. The cast was announced in November 2022, with

Esmé Creed-Miles Esmé Creed-Miles (born 5 February 2000) is an English actress, known for starring as the title character in the Amazon Video series '' Hanna''. Early life Creed-Miles was born in Barnet, England and attended the English boarding school Bedale ...

set to lead the series alongside Éanna Hardwicke,

Mirren Mack Mirren Mack (born 1997) is a Scottish actress, known for portraying Kaya on the BBC drama '' The Nest'', Florence in ''Sex Education'', Queenie in the National Theatre’s 2022 production of '' Small Island'', and Princess/Empress Merwyn in the ...

, and George Webster. Also joining the series were Pippa Haywood,

Sharlene Whyte Sharlene Natasha Whyte (born 19 May 1976) is an English actress who is best known for playing Jenny Edwards in ''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' and Adanna Lawal, the Head of Pastoral Care, in '' Waterloo Road''. She trained at RADA The Roy ...

, Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi,

Freddy Carter Frederick James Carter (born 27 January 1993) is an English actor and director. He stars as Kaz Brekker in the Netflix fantasy series ''Shadow and Bone'' (2021–). He previously starred as Peter (Pin) Hawthorne in ''Free Rein'' (2017–2019), a ...

, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Laurie Kynaston, Jim Caesar, Akshay Khanna, Aysha Kala, and

. Principal photography was under way in and around Dublin as of November 2022. Filming was reported at Trinity College Dublin in January 2023, specifically in the Museum Building and the Physics Lecture Theatre.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doll factory, the 2023 British television series debuts 2023 British television series endings British thriller television series 2020s British television miniseries Costume drama television series British English-language television shows Gothic fiction Great Exhibition Modeling-themed television series Paramount+ original programming Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in popular culture Fiction about smallpox Television series set in the 1850s Television shows based on British novels Television shows filmed in the Republic of Ireland