Nicola Coughlan is heading back to television in a big way, joining a starry cast that includes Naomi Scott, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton for Netflix’s new drama series adapting the short stories Roald Dahl wrote for adults.

It’s a notable pivot for the BRIDGERTON and DERRY GIRLS star, who’s built her name on beloved ensemble comedies and is now stepping into the murkier, more adult register of Dahl’s lesser-known fiction. The project marks Netflix’s latest move deeper into the author’s world since it acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company back in 2021, following its screen ventures built around MATILDA and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. This time, though, there’s no whimsical children’s fantasy in sight.

The six-part series draws from stories Dahl wrote strictly for grown-up readers, and the tone reflects that shift. According to a synopsis shared with The Hollywood Reporter, the show follows a young couple stranded in a faded seaside town who find themselves tangled up with conmen, adulterers, murderous mothers and snake charmers as they try to outrun a fate that seems already sealed. Filming is already underway in Manchester and the North West of England, having kicked off this month.

Coughlan’s involvement lands amid a wave of high-profile television announcements coming out of the Edinburgh TV Festival, a lineup that also includes Barry Keoghan’s TOP BOY prequel and Kate Winslet’s THE UNHEARD, written by ADOLESCENCE‘s Jack Thorne. But it’s Coughlan’s turn toward Dahl’s darker, adult-oriented storytelling that stands out as one of the more intriguing swerves of the bunch, a sign she’s keen to stretch well beyond the roles that made her a household name.