Cast announced for Ladies in Black

ABC this past week confirmed the cast for its six-part drama series Ladies in Black, which has filmed in South Australia.

Following on from the 2018 film of the same name and drawing inspiration from the 1993 novel, Ladies in Black, the television adaptation sees the beloved women from Goodes Department Store fling open their shop doors to the fabulous 60’s.

The cast features American actress Debi Mazar (Younger, Entourage), Miranda Otto (The Clearing, Talk To Me) and Jessica De Gouw (The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson, The Secret She Keeps).

Theya re joined by Kate Box (Deadloch, Wentworth),  Clare Hughes, Azizi Donnelly (Secret Society of Lies), Julian Maroun (Aftertaste), Carlos Sanson Jr (Bump), Tom Wilson (Heartbreak High), Sacha Horler (The Letdown), Huw Higginson (Total Control), Russell Dykstra (Rake), Thom Green (Of an Age), Hamish Michael (The Twelve), Krew Boylan (Simply Red), Ngali Shaw (The Twelve), Hazem Shammas (The Clearing), Peter O’Brien (Tidelands), Gemma Ward (While The Men Are Away) and Todd McKenney (Significant Others).

ABC Head of Scripted, Rachel Okine said: “Ladies in Black is a celebration of beauty, ambition and friendships forged against a backdrop of high fashion in the 1960s. We anticipate audiences both here and abroad are going to love losing themselves in this glamorous world and are delighted to be bringing it to the screen in 2024”.

Bunya Entertainment’s Co-Managing Director and producer, Sophia Zachariou said “At Bunya we pride ourselves on bringing stories to the screen that we haven’t seen before and our television version of Ladies in Black is just that. Our Ladies in Black inhabit an intriguing world on the cusp of change. We can’t wait to bring the exquisite characters we’ve created – and their stories – to the screen. I hope audiences fall in love with them just as much as we have”.

Screen Australia Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon said, “We are proud to be part of the highly anticipated drama series, Ladies in Black. Beautifully tailored and laced with a fierce intelligence, this charming series skilfully captures Australian culture during a truly transformative era. With its winning combination of cast and crew, this series will transport audiences to a bygone era, yearning for more.”

South Australian Film Corporation CEO Kate Croser said: “We are thrilled to support Ladies in Black to be made in South Australia under the new ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund. As the second production to come out of the fund, this fabulous, quintessentially Australian series will really showcase the diverse capability of our Adelaide Studios production facility and South Australia’s screen industry workforce.”

SA Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said “It is incredibly exciting to secure Ladies in Black for South Australia. We want to tell Australian stories to the world, and we are achieving this through our $5.2 million partnership between the SAFC and the ABC. South Australia is truly the home of Australian stories on screen, and the Malinauskas Government will continue to invest in this important sector for the future.”

Ladies in Black screens in 2024 on ABC.

Directed by Gracie Otto (The Arftul Dodger, The Clearing, Heartbreak High), Ladies in Black takes place in 1961, six months after the events of the original story, where amidst this backdrop of major societal shifts, the women embracing more freedom and independence are forced to confront personal choices and challenges which cast shadows over their once cherished dreams.

The series is written by Greg Waters (The Twelve) who also serves as script producer, Sarah Bassiuoni (House of Gods), Joan Sauers (Wakefield) and Randa Sayed (Halal Girls).

Production credit: A Bunya Entertainment production. Major production investment from the ABC, South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Australia. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Producers: Sophia Zachariou, Angela Littlejohn, Greer Simpkin, David Jowsey. Executive Producers: Greg Waters, Sue Milliken, Allanah Zitserman. ABC Executive Producers: Rachel Okine & Louise Smith. Distributed by ABC Commercial.