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The Cage boasts a star-studded cast, with familiar faces from hit TV shows and films leading the line-up.

Created by The Responder writer Tony Schumacher, the five-part series starts today (Sunday, 26th April) and was shot on-location in Liverpool.

It follows two casino workers desperately trying to keep their heads above water by stealing cash from the safe. One is saving for a house, while the other is funding his gambling addiction.

However, they soon realise that both of them have had the same risky idea and their scheme propels them on a collision course straight into the path of the casino's owner, a local gangster.

With all five episodes of The Cage dropping on BBC iPlayer this weekend, let's take a look at the full cast and where you will have seen them before.

Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha lead the series as Leanne Chapel and Matty Flynn. TV fans will instantly recognise Smith from a wide array of projects, including recent dramas like No Return and I Fought the Law, as well as beloved sitcoms such as Gavin & Stacey, The Royle Family, and Benidorm.

Socha is widely known for his powerful performance as Harvey in Shane Meadows' This Is England film and subsequent TV series. He has also had major roles in Being Human and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

They are joined by Barry Sloane as gangster Gary Packer. The Liverpool-born actor is a familiar face from the military drama Six and crime series The Bay, and he's also known for his recurring role in Netflix's The Sandman. Look out for him in the highly-anticipated third season of HBO's House of the Dragon too.

Geraldine James plays Gary's mother, Nancy. The acclaimed actress has starred as Queen Mary in the Downton Abbey film from 2019 and appeared in major streaming shows like Anne With an E and Silo.

Sophie Mensah takes on the role of Detective Sergeant Fen Ning, investigating the casino's suspected criminal activity. Mensah has appeared in Welsh-language soap Pobol y Cwm and debuted in Hollyoaks last year.

The cast also includes young stars Freya Jones as Matty's daughter, Emily and Anton Bibby as Leanne's son, Thomas. Jones' credits include Half Way Down and Bolan's Shoes, while Bibby made his start appearing in an episode of Liverpool Narcos.

Supporting cast members include:

• Abby Mavers as Kelly
• Shaun Mason as Alan
• Louis Emerick as Paul
• Sue Jenkins as Shelagh
• Ian Puleston-Davies as Vincent
• Julia Papp as Irina
• Katy Carmichael as DCI Hannigan
• Isobel Khan as Paige
• Gemma Barraclough as Jade
• Dave Hart as Danny
• Eileen O'Brien as Nanna
• Eithne Browne as Annie
• Mona Goodwin as Trace
• Abby Maver as Kelly
• Rose McDermott as Ruby

The Cage is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.