A special premiere of the second series of hit drama Gentleman Jack took place last night at Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax ahead of its showing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, April 10 at 9pm.
The show’s creator Sally Wainwright, BAFTA award-winning Suranne Jones, and Gemma Whelan (who plays Marian Lister) were among the cast who walked the red carpet at the Piece Hall.
Suranne Jones (Vigil, Doctor Foster, Save Me) returns as regency landowner and Yorkshire trailblazer Anne Lister for the second series of Gentleman Jack set in Halifax during 1834.
The show is based on the collected diaries of Anne Lister which were part-written in cryptic code and document all aspects of the private and public life of this remarkable woman including her romantic relationship with Ann Walker played by Sophie Rundle (Bodyguard, Peaky Blinders, The Nest).
Sally Wainwright said: “For too long Anne Lister has been Halifax’s best kept secret and I’m thrilled that Gentleman Jack has helped her finally get the global recognition she deserves.
“It’s wonderful that we’re able to show fans the next part of her story in the heart of this town which was so important to her.”
Suranne Jones added: “Anne Lister was such a remarkable person and being able to shoot the series in Halifax and Calderdale where she created such a stir all those years ago has been so inspiring as an actor.
“The area has played an important role in my life since the first series of Gentleman Jack aired.”
Filmed in and around West Yorkshire, series one followed Anne Lister’s life as she inherited her uncle’s fading estate, Shibden Hall in Halifax, which she attempted to restore while beginning a romance with Ann Walker.
Series two picks up just four weeks after series one ended with all eyes on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple.
The second series of Gentleman Jack airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, April 10 at 9pm.