Exclusive – New image from BBC crime thriller The Pact starring Laura Fraser, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Eddie Marsan

If you enjoy nothing more than sinking your teeth into a TV drama, The Pact is for you. Brought to you as the first commission for the Cardiff-based independent production company Little Door Productions for BBC Cymru Wales, Pete McTighe’s new female-led crime thriller will have you gripped from start to finish. And you won’t have to wait too long, as it premieres this month.

The upcoming drama was produced by Catrin Lewis Defis, who previously produced crime drama Bang in 2019, and directed by Eric Styles (Hidden, 2018) and Rebecca Johnson (The Flash).

The Pact navigates the lives of five friends who work in a countryside Welsh brewery as their worlds are turned upside down in the aftermath of a shocking, unexplained death. When a chain of sinister events forces them into a fragile pact of silence which will bind them for eternity, how will the women cope as they're embroiled in a huge web of lies?

In an exclusive image for RadioTimes.com, we see four friends stood, eyes transfixed on something in the distance, with a detective and police officer behind them.

Laura Fraser, who played Lydia Rodarte-Quayle in the final season of Breaking Bad, takes centre stage in The Pact cast as Anna, and behind her stands Broadchurch’s Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Nancy. Up-and-coming Welsh actress Heledd Gwynn, known for her role as Abi Bell on Gwaith/Cartref, plays Cat. And Keeping Faith’s Eiry Thomas takes on the role of Louie. Abbie Hern, who plays the fifth friend Tish, is mysteriously kept out of the image.

DS Holland is played by Bafta-nominated actress Rakie Ayola, who has appeared in shows such as Grace, Noughts + Crosses, Anthony and Doctor Who. Eddie Marsan, who worked on Ray Donovan and Vera Drake as well as blockbusters including Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, plays Arwel Evans.

Elwen Rowlands, joint MD of Little Door Productions, describes the crime thriller as packing “a huge emotional punch”.

The Pact airs later this month on BBC One. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.