FINGERSMITH

UK | BBC1 |  3×60 minute episodes  | Started 27 March 2005

Book: Sarah Waters / Writer: Peter Ransley / Director: Aisling Walsh / Producer: Georgina Lowe

Period drama set in Victorian times. A crook called Mr Rivers hatches a plan with a young petty criminal (aka a fingersmith) called Sue Trinder. Sue will become the maid of Maud Lilly a woman who lives a sheltered life with her uncle cataloguing old manuscripts and unbeknown to her is heir to a fortune. Sue’s task is to help Mr Rivers marry Maud then have her committed to an institution. But as the story progresses it emerges that it is actually Maud and Rivers who are working in partnership to double-cross Sue and in the end it seems everyone has some sort of secret scheme as the layers of the story unfold.

cast
ELAINE CASSIDY as Maud Lilly
SALLY HAWKINS as Sue Trinder
RUPERT EVANS as Rivers
IMELDA STAUNTON as Mrs Sucksby
CHARLES DANCE as Mr Lilly