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Top cast join Top End drama for ABC

Brian Cox, Aaron Fa’aoso, Rena Owen and Firass Dirani begin shooting new ABC drama The Straits in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait.

The ABC has announced key cast for The Straits, its 10 part drama series set in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait.

The series is based on an idea by actor Aaron Fa’aoso (East West 101) and will feature Scottish actor Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, Troy, Braveheart), Rena Owen (East West 101), Firass Dirani (Underbelly), newcomers Jimi Bani (RAN, The Sapphires) and Suzannah Bayes-Morton (All Saints, The Tumbler), plus Fa’aoso himself.

Described as an exotic, darkly humorous crime drama it follows The Montebello, a family of modern day smugglers, whose business is transporting drugs into Australia, and guns and exotic wildlife out, making use of ties of blood and loyalty in the Torres Strait Islands.

When Harry (Cox), the head of the family, starts to plan his succession he sparks a vicious family power struggle, however, under attack from ambitious bikies and mercurial Papua New Guinea raskols, the family must hold together through torture, assassination and imprisonment.

The series is produced by Matchbox Pictures’ Penny Chapman and Helen Panckhurst (RAN: Remote Area Nurse), written by Louis Nowra (Cosi, K-19: The Widowmaker, Radiance), Blake Ayshford (Crownies, All Saints), Nick Parsons (Two Twisted, Dead Heart), Kristen Dunphy (East West 101, White Collar Blue) and Jaime Browne (The King, The Secret Life of Us).

Directing are Peter Andrikidis (East West 101, False Witness, Underbelly, Wildside), Rachel Ward (Beautiful Kate, The Big House) and Rowan Woods (The Boys, Little Fish).

Carole Sklan, Head of ABC TV Fiction said “This is a bold and thrilling drama series from a fantastic creative team and outstanding cast.”

Helen Panckhurst added, “We have assembled an extraordinary cast, including a large number of talented Torres Strait Islander and Papua New Guinea actors. We are delighted to be collaborating once again with our Torres Strait Islander friends in showcasing this extraordinary part of the world.”

Fa’aoso started his own production company Pixa House following his work on East West 101 for SBS.

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