Tabard Road

Sleep With Me

Adrian Lester, Jodhi May and Anamaria Marinca are to star in an Andrew Davies adaptation of Joanna Briscoe’s erotic thriller Sleep With Me for ITV1.

Clerkenwell Films has just begun filming in London on this compelling and evocative, two hour drama, adapted by one of British television’s most prestigious screenwriters, from the best selling novel.

Adrian Lester and Jodhi May play Richard Carter and Lelia Phillips, whose lives are turned upside down by a seemingly harmless stranger, Sylvie Lavigne, played by Anamaria Marinca.
Sleep With Me also stars Adam James as Richard’s friend Macdara, Justine Mitchell as his wife Catrin, and Kevin Doyle as Richard’s boss Peter Stronson.

Dark secrets and infidelities are revealed as Richard and Lelia are lured into Sylvie’s seductive and menacing game in this story of obsession, desire and betrayal.

Richard, a literary reviewer, and his long-time girlfriend Lelia meet the mysterious Sylvie at a party, a quiet mousey woman who seems lost and out of her depth.

Richard is gradually seduced by Sylvie’s subtle, inexplicable charm, and grows more infatuated by the day. And Lelia finds herself tormented by nightmares and disturbing childhood memories.

Andrew Davies is one of Britain’s most celebrated screenplay writers. He has penned classics including Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Vanity Fair and Tipping the Velvet. He has won a series of awards including four Baftas, an Emmy, and five Writers’ Guild awards.

Joanna Briscoe says: ““It’s a writer’s dream to have a novel adapted by Andrew Davies. Though he’s famous for inserting a sexual element into his adaptations, here’s a novel where he didn’t need to!

“I could hardly believe it when I first heard that Andrew was interested in adapting my novel. It was so exciting, in fact, that I refused to believe it…. I’m just very happy that it’s turned out to be true!

“I’m truly thrilled that this has been commissioned, and can’t wait to see some of the filming. It can be my reward for endless hours spent writing in the British Library.

“I think this will be tense, dark and erotic drama, with a classy cast, and I can’t wait to see the finished film.”

Sally Haynes, ITV’s Controller of Drama Commissions, says: “Andrew Davies is the master of literary adaptation, and we are delighted to be continuing our relationship with him. He was the perfect choice to dramatise Joanna Briscoe’s brilliant, contemporary novel, which is very much about the sexual politics of men and women.”

The producer is Steve Lightfoot, the director is Marc Jobst and the executive producer is Murray Ferguson.