With a stellar cast and award-winning writer, The Cage looks set to be one of the biggest shows of the year.
A high-stakes crime story set within the shady world of a Liverpool casino, The Cage follows single mum Leanne Chapel (Sheridan Smith) and secret addict Matty Flynn (Michael Socha) who discover they are both robbing from the safe at Envoy Casino where they work. Just as they plan to stop, life throws them both curveballs which mean they need money more than ever. And fast.
As their lives fall apart, the local gangsters they're stealing from - and the police - are circling.
Who stars in The Cage?
Sheridan Smith as Leanne Chapel
Leanne Chapel (Sheridan Smith) is a cashier at Envoy Casino, a single mum and carer to her Nanna who has dementia. With her teenage son and daughter going through the expensive teen years, money is tighter than ever. Soon Leanne and her kids will be homeless as they will have to move out of their home when Nanna goes into care.
‘She is very vulnerable; she feels things deeply,’ Sheridan Smith says. ‘But she's also strong and she's like a lioness when it comes to her family. Those two things come from the same place.’ While Leanne doesn’t want to take money from her employer, she can’t see any other option.
Sheridan Smith first appeared on screen in the late 1990s, picking up minor roles in shows including Wives and Daughters (1999) and The Royle Family (1999-2000) before landing the part that made her a household name: Janet Keogh in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001-2009).
From there she moved between comedy and drama with ease appearing in Gavin & Stacey (2008–2010, 2024) as the chaotic Rudi and as Joey Ross in Jonathan Creek (2009, 2010, 2013). In 2012 she played Charmian Biggs in Mrs Biggs, which won her the BAFTA and earned her the first of two Emmy Award nominations. She followed it with Cilla (2014), playing Cilla Black and picking up an NTA. The C Word (2015), Cleaning Up (2019), Four Lives (2022) and I Fought the Law (2025) all cemented her place as one of the UK's most acclaimed actresses with an OBE awarded to her in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to drama.
Sheridan also shines on the stage and has appeared in West End and touring productions including Little Shop of Horrors (2007), Legally Blonde (2010) Shirley Valentine (2023) and Woman in Mind (2026).
Michael Socha as Matty Flynn
Matty Flynn (Michael Socha) is the manager of the Envoy Casino – which is a questionable career choice for someone addicted to gambling. His debts are high and being an alcoholic makes it even harder to work out how he will pay that cash back. Often found sleeping in the office and skipping his child maintenance payments, Matty feels the world is against him. He has been taking from the casino in an ad hoc and messy way, but it’s all likely to get a lot worse when the gang he owes money to starts putting on the pressure to pay up. Matty wants to be a better dad and decent human but temptation is everywhere and soon the local gang take a lot of his choices away from him.
Michael Socha’s big break came in 2006 when he appeared in the cult‑classic Shane Meadows film This is England (2006) playing school bully Harvey. He reprised the role in the TV series This Is England ’86 (2010) and its sequel This Is England ’88 (2011).
We then saw him emerge as werewolf Tom McNair in supernatural hit Being Human (2011–2013) and he crossed the pond to join ABC’s fairy‑tale universe in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013–2014) as the Knave of Hearts, a role that quickly led to his inclusion in the main cast of the parent show Once Upon a Time.
More recently, Michael embodied 'King' David Hartley in The Gallows Pole (2023) and has been a featured cast member in DI Ray, Showtrial, and 2025 Netflix series Toxic Town.
On film Michael Socha has shown his range with gritty social commentary in Dogging: A Love Story (2009) and charmed in the coming-of-age caper Spike Island (2012). He also starred in the hilarious musical comedy Svengali (2013) and took on a darker edge in horror-comedy _Double Date (_2017).
More recent film credits include his moving turn in The Keeper (2018), and an appearance in period drama Papillon (2017).
Barry Sloane as Gary Packer
Gary Packer (Barry Sloane) is a drug dealer who’s losing control of everything he has built over the years. Most of his day feels like corporate management except with the added issue of constant death threats. He can be charming and understands what some of his customers are going through - but ultimately he wants to be the bossman and will throw all the punches he needs to for that to happen.
You might remember Barry Sloane from his breakthrough role in _Brookside (_2002–2003), where he played troubled Sean Smith. He went on to play bad-boy Niall Rafferty in Hollyoaks (2007–2008).
American television audiences first got to know Barry as the mysterious Aiden Mathis in drama Revenge (2012–2014), where Hollywood quickly took notice, and he landed regular parts in The Whispers (2015) and Six (2017-2018), where he tackled a physically demanding lead as Navy SEAL Joe ‘Bear’ Graves.
Most recently you might have seen him in survival series The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), and as DS Michael Newall in The Bay (2020–2023).
Barry Sloane has managed to blend indie credibility with blockbuster appeal in film from gritty drama The Mark of Cain (2007) to supernatural action film The Devil’s Light (2022).
Geraldine James as Nancy Packer
Nancy Packer (Geraldine James) is the owner of the casino – she lost her husband almost a decade ago and can’t let the past go. She’s complicated, emotional and has a fractious relationship with her son, Gary (Barry Sloane), because of their strained history around Gary’s father.
Geraldine James broke through in a big way with the seminal miniseries The Jewel in the Crown (1984), where her portrayal of Sarah Layton garnered widespread acclaim and a BAFTA nomination. She continued to shine in powerful dramas like Band of Gold (1995–1997) and as the formidable Lady Maud Holland in He Knew He Was Right (2004). More recently, her ability to bring nuance to complex characters was on display in Anne (2022), where she depicted the tenacious campaigner Anne Williams.
On the big screen she starred opposite Julie Walters in the much-loved Billy Elliot (2000), playing Billy’s supportive dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson, and brought dignity to her role as Mrs Esher in Gandhi (1982). Geraldine James has proven her range in a variety of genres, from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) to Downton Abbey (2019), where she played Queen Mary. More recently, she drew further acclaim with her role in the poignant British adaptation The Great Escaper (2023).
Sophie Mensah as Detective Sergeant Fen Ning
Fen Ning (Sophie Mensah) is a Detective Sergeant who suspects criminal activity in the casino. For some reason she has it in for the casino owner’s son, Gary (Barry Sloane), and she’s willing to put everything on the line to get him, even if it means breaking the law to get the job done.
A rising star, Sophie Mensah has popped up in some well-loved dramas, from Kitty Pattison in All Creatures Great and Small (2022) to Cheryl Lee fantasy-drama Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale (2024).
Who was The Cage written by?
The series is being hyped up because it’s written by Tony Schumacher who wrote the critically acclaimed BBC1 hit The Responder (2022).
‘The project came about in 2020,’ says Tony. ‘It was before The Responder was filmed. We had the green light on The Responder and people were starting to ask, “Who's this fella from Liverpool?” I got asked to go to a meeting with two incredible people who asked if I had any ideas. I’d always wanted to do something in a casino. Then over the course of half an hour we come up with the really basic outline of The Cage.’
Tony says he has always been intrigued by casinos as he used to work on a cruise ship and watched the croupiers working their magic. But he’s not gambled personally.
‘I'm terrified to gamble,’ he reveals. ‘I know I'd be a bad gambler, but I also know that there's a little part of me that might fall into that hole.’
Where was The Cage filmed?
For writer Tony Schumacher there was only one place he was ever going to set new BBC drama The Cage: his beloved hometown.
‘Liverpool is one of the greatest cities in the world,’ he says. ‘It used to irk me that Liverpool had become a bit of a set, as opposed to a location. It'd become a backdrop for New York, London, Birmingham. That's amazing because it brings loads of jobs, but I like the idea of shining the light on the city itself. We've got some incredible talent here, in front and behind the cameras.’
And a lot of the cast hail from Liverpool too and are thrilled they got to film at home.
‘I've been very fortunate in my career to shoot all over the world and travel around,’ says Barry Sloane who plays Gary Packer. ‘That's wonderful, but there's great pride in me as a Scouser to perform stories with Liverpool at its heart.’
And co-star Sophie Mensah, who plays Detective Sergeant Fen Ning, was particularly thrilled that a Chinese-Liverpudlian character was central to the action.
‘This is where I grew up - we even filmed a scene in Chinatown where my grandmother came to in the 1940s from Shanghai, so it felt like a serendipitous moment for me,’ she says.
Even though Sheridan Smith, who plays Leanne Chapel, is not from Liverpool she says it’s her favourite city, so a pleasure to film in.
‘People are so friendly in Liverpool,’ she explains. ‘We were filming one day, and people were bringing out cupcakes and coming out in their pyjamas going, “Hey girl, come and have a cup of tea at ours”. I do feel like an adopted Scouser.’
Where can I watch The Cage?
You can watch The Cage from Sunday 26 April on BBC1 and BBCiPlayer.
Caroline Blight is a drama TV addict and can confirm The Cage is absolutely worthy of your time and attention. It's do not miss television!