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Cast announced for ABC1’s ANZAC Girls

Anna McGahan, Caroline Craig and Georgia Flood join ABC1's new six-part miniseries.

Anna McGahanABC has announced key cast for the Screentime-produced miniseries, ANZAC Girls.

The cast includes Georgia Flood (House Husbands, Wentworth, Tangle), Antonia Prebble (Outrageous Fortune, The Blue Rose, Super City), Laura Brent (A Few Best Men, Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Anna McGahan (House Husbands, Mystery of a Hansom Cab, Underbelly: Razor) and Caroline Craig (Underbelly, Dangerous Remedy, Blue Heelers).

It tells the true story of five young military nurses from Australia and New Zealand, who experienced horror, heartbreak and triumph caring for the original ANZACS at both Gallipoli and the Western Front.

Based on the book The Other Anzacs by Peter Rees, it draws on the diaries, letters, photographs and historical achievements of five women who witnessed the brutality of war but forged life-long friendships. According to the press release, “ANZAC Girls honours the Centenary of World War I with the unique and rarely told history of the war through the nurses who served amidst bombing raids, poison gas and terrible disease – saving lives and transforming the spirits of the soldiers.”

The six part series has been written by Felicity Packard and Niki Aken, and is being series produced by Lisa Scott and produced by Felicity Packard. It will be directed by Ken Cameron (Dangerous Remedy, Brides of Christ, Bangkok Hilton) and Ian Watson (Janet King, Killing Time, Love My Way), with cinematography by Geoffrey Hall and production design by Scott Bird. Screentime’s Des Monaghan and Greg Haddrick are executive producers with the ABC’s Carole Sklan and David Ogilvy.

ABC TV Head of Fiction Carole Sklan said, “Reaching across one hundred years the story of these young women and their friendship, courage, romance and achievement touches us with a shocking immediacy. Their voices are as delightful as their story is inspiring.”

Executive Producer Des Monaghan said, “It is a privilege to bring to the screen the story of these remarkable women who are in many ways the unsung heroes of the ANZAC story.”

The miniseries will be filmed in South Australia with the support of the South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Australia.

An airdate has not yet been announced but it is expected to be part of the 100th ANZAC anniversary.

5 Responses

  1. Cast looks solid, but would love to see even more up and coming, fresher faces and genuine talent such as Zoe Bodycott (Surprise; Dying Ice) involved in such a period piece.

  2. I disagree Nik, I believe these Actresses have been in plenty of shows around this period in time, I don’t really see this as a fresh cast, but then again using Actresses more than once doesn’t bother me so I’ll still watch.

  3. It certainly is a good time to be an actress in Australia. There are so few roles or shows for men in this country anymore.
    I hope it does well though.

  4. @ Belinda: I was going to write the same thing! With Antonia Prebble this is a must watch for me. The rest of the cast look good too, mostly fresh up and coming actors. So people that criticised the new Political Party Drama on 10 , should be happier with the fresher cast.

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