Calling all romance drama lovers – Channel 4’s brand-new series Trespasses is here to break your heart in the best possible way. Set against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles, this tension-filled love story isn’t just about politics and conflict, it’s about passion, danger, and what it costs to follow your heart when the world says you shouldn’t.
Adapted from Louise Kennedy’s acclaimed novel, expect tension, high- stakes, and the kind of atmosphere you can practically feel through the screen! And with Gillian Anderson among the cast, alongside Tom Cullen and rising star Lola Petticrew, we’re expecting this to be so good you’ll binge it in one sitting!
Read on to discover what it's all about, who else is in the cast and even some exclusives from a Q&A with the cast and crew!
Plot | Cast | Facts | Trailer | Where to watch
What is Trespasses about?
Delicate, dangerous and quietly explosive – that’s the world of Trespasses.
Set in 1975 in a small town outside Belfast, the series dives into a community where every glance, gesture, and rumour carries weight. Cushla Lavery is a clever young schoolteacher whose days are spent keeping her pupils focused while the conflict outside creeps ever closer. By night, she helps run her family’s pub – a rare space where Catholics, Protestants, and British soldiers all cross paths, even when they shouldn’t. It’s there, amid the cigarette smoke and whispered politics, that Cushla meets Michael Agnew, a married Protestant barrister with ties to the very cases dividing her community. Their connection is instant, magnetic and oh soooo dangerous!
Trespasses is a quiet revolution
Lola Petticrew
As their worlds begin to overlap, Cushla finds herself pulled between the safety of what she knows and the pull of something far more dangerous. Her family feels the strain, her friends start to talk, and every decision carries a cost. Outside, Belfast is bracing for violence; inside, the story is about the moments of tenderness and truth people fight to protect. It’s a love story caught between loyalty and rebellion – one that asks whether passion can survive when the world is built to keep people apart.
The attraction between them isn’t just a sexual attraction, it’s an attraction of spirit and soul and mind.
Tom Cullen
Who is in the cast of Trespasses?
Lola Petticrew (Say Nothing) plays Cushla Lavery, a young Catholic schoolteacher trying to hold her life together in a divided town.
Tom Cullen (The Gold, Downton Abbey) plays Michael Agnew, a Protestant barrister with a steady career, a marriage, and a growing sense of unrest.
Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Sex Education) plays Gina Lavery, Cushla’s sharp-tongued, grief-worn mother whose fierce love and complex past cast long shadows over her daughter’s choices.
Declan Conlon (Gods Creatures) plays Father Smyth, the local priest who represents the moral pressure and social scrutiny shaping every decision in Cushla’s life.
Exclusive facts about Trespasses
The mixture of the love affair and the politics obviously makes for quite a lot of danger.
Gillian Anderson
Here at Freely we had the opportunity to attend the screening where we got a sneak peek of the first episode anddd access to an exclusive Q&A. Here’s some of our favourite facts we just had to share with you!
- Tom had intensive accent coaching with Jude McSpadden to master the Belfast accent, listening to recordings repeatedly and practicing in his daily life. He even claims to have listened to Desert Islanders over 100 times!
- Lola Petticrew previously starred in Say Nothing, another drama set during the Troubles.
- Louise Kennedy wrote the novel while recovering from cancer, drafting 1,000 words a day. The depiction of school life is based on Louise Kennedy’s own experience growing up as a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant area of Belfast in 1975.
- Gillian Anderson calls the show “delicate and dangerous,” perfectly capturing the mix of love and political tension.
Cushla sees Michael’s bravery and admires it so much, but doesn’t realise how brave she is through her capacity to love.
Lola Petticrew
Trespasses trailer:
This third-party content is provided by YouTube, which may use cookies and tracking technologies. Review your cookie preferences and enable cookies to view this content.
When and where can I watch Trespasses?
Get ready and get excited because the release is juuuuust around the corner! You can watch Trespasses at 9pm on Sunday 9th november or stream all episodes on Channel 4 from Sunday Morning!
And if you've been loving the recommendations why not read all about some of Channel 4's other amazing shows orrr see what other new TV shows are coming this month!
