The Witchfinder cast: who stars in BBC Two drama with Daisy May Cooper and Jessica Hynes - when is it on TV?

The Witchfinder is the new BBC Two six- part historical comedy series which will air from 8 March.

The show follows a fairly unsuccessful witchfinder as he works to transport a suspected witch to trial.

Finding his charge to be a disagreeable travel companion, there’s plenty of friction as he transports her across the country in the time of civil war and plague.

In a similar vein to Upstart Crow, The Witchfinder is likely to play fast and loose with history, in the service of comedy.

With the same writers and directors as This Time With Alan Partridge (Neil and Rob Gibbons) and a cast from all corners of the British comedy world, The Witchfinder could be a hit.

Who stars in The Witchfinder?

The Witchfinder cast will be recognisable to any follower of British comedy panel shows and sit-coms, with some actors crossing paths on previous comedic endeavours.

Here is the cast of The Witchfinder and where you will know them from:

Daisy May Cooper

Daisy May Cooper takes on the role of Thomasine Gooch, a woman believed to be a witch and hunted down by the titular Witchfinder in order to be put on trial.

Cooper will bring her brilliant brand of dry humour to the role as she faces off against the hapless witchfinder.

Cooper rose to prominence through her role as Kerry Mucklowe in This Country. She played a young out- of- work troublemaker living in the Cotswolds with her cousin, Kurtan.

Cooper also played Sarah in 2020 space spoof Avenue 5 alongside Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, and Himesh Patel.

As well as film roles in The Personal History of David Copperfield, and schlocky comedy horror Brides of Satan, Cooper also took part in season 10 of comedy challenge based show Taskmaster.

Tim Key

Another Taskmaster alumni, Tim Key, plays the eponymous Witchfinder, Gideon Bannister.

Attempting to revive his ailing reputation, Bannister brings Cooper’s witch on a cross-country trek with the hope of putting her on trial.

Known for his surreal comic poetry, Key is also prolific in British sitcoms, having made guest appearances in Inside No. 9, Plebs, Peep Show, and After Life.

He is best known for his work alongside Steve Coogan in his various Alan Partidge endeavours, including Mid Morning Matters, This Time, and the film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Jessica Hynes

Another sitcom veteran, Jessica Hynes will play a character called Old Myers, and the only information yet gleaned about her role is that she will have bad teeth.

Viewers will recognise Hynes from the celebrated sitcom Spaced, which she wrote and co-created as well as starred in as Simon Pegg’s anti-love interest, Daisy Steiner.

Hynes starred alongside Pegg again in the cult classic zombie apocalypse parody Shaun of the Dead.

Other film roles of Hynes include Bridget Jones sequels The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones’s Baby.

Tuwaine Barrett

Barrett will play an as yet unnamed character in five episodes of the series. He took to Instagram to jokingly explain that he first auditioned for The Witcher and didn’t get the part.

Barrett had appeared in BBC crime drama You Don’t Know Me, and also had an uncredited role in Spiderman: Far From Home.

Like Cooper, Barrett also had a role in The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Daniel Rigby

Ridby will play rival witchfinder Hebble, the foil to Key’s Gideon.

Rigby has a host of acting credits to his name - including Black Mirror, Jericho, and Big School.

Rigby also lent his voice to two very different projects - as the narrator for Teletubbies, and Dandelion in Watership Down.

You can also see Rigby in the upcoming series Tom Jones, due for release later this year.

When will The Witchfinder be on TV?

The first episode of The Witchfinder will be released on BBC Two at 10pm on 8 March.

Following episodes will be released in weekly instalments at the same time.

Episode one of The Witchfinder will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer shortly after it is first broadcast.

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