Cast List and Filming Location Details for ITV Drama Series Cilla
Written by Jeff Pope, Cilla is a three-part ITV drama series following Liverpool’s Cilla Black on her journey from teenage girl in 1960, to singing stardom and the start of a legendary television career.
During her music career, Cilla released a number of hit singles including: Anyone Who Had a Heart, You’re My World, Surround Yourself with Sorrow, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin and Something Tells Me (Something’s Gonna Happen Tonight).
Video: Sheridan Smith talks Cilla
Air Date
Episode 1 of Cilla is scheduled to air at 9:00pm on Monday 15 September, 2014, on ITV, with series catchup available via ITV Player.
Cilla ITV Cast List
Character – Actress/Actor
Cilla Black (Priscilla White) – Sheridan Smith (The Widower, Mrs Biggs, Jonathan Creek, Gavin & Stacey, Grownups, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Black Work)
Bobby Willis (Cilla’s husband) – Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen, We’ll Take Manhattan)
Brian Epstein – Ed Stoppard (The Politician’s Husband, ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’, Any Human Heart)
John White (Cilla’s Dad) – John Henshaw (Born and Bred, Candy Cabs, South Riding, The Visit, Early Doors)
‘Big Cilla’ Priscilla (Cilla’s Mum) – Melanie Hill (Bread, Waterloo Road, Meadowlands, The Fugitives, The Bill, Playing the Field)
George Martin – Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons, Lost in Austen, Ambassadors, Sinbad, Marchlands)
Robert Willis – Andrew Schofield (Scully, Melissa, G.B.H.)
Burt Bacharach – Daniel Pirrie (Downton Abbey, Hollyoaks, Jane Eyre)
Pat Davies – Tara Wells
Elsie Starkey – Mary Duffy
Johnny Hutchinson – Danny Burns
The Beatles
John Lennon – Jack Farthing (Blandings, Poldark 2015)
Paul McCartney – Kevin Mains (How Do I Get Up There?)
George Harrison – Michael Hawkins
Ringo Starr – Tom Dunlea
Sheridan Smith ITV Interview
“I’m sure I was born in the wrong era. I wish I’d been around in Liverpool in the 60’s. But the next best thing to that is re-creating it. In an identical Cavern Club with a packed audience of extras and me standing in the middle of them as Cilla.”
Preparing for the singing side of the role, Sheridan added: “We did all the songs live on set. I had some singing lessons leading up to filming because Cilla has a very distinctive sound. She has two voices. A really soft voice and then a singing voice from the back of the throat when she does those big ballads.”
Where is Cilla filmed? – ITV Filming Locations
Over a six week period, Cilla was unsurprisingly filmed in the city of Liverpool, where sets were built to faithfully recreate both the Cavern Club and Abbey Road studios. Even one of the scenes which is set in New York City, was actually filmed in Liverpool.