The Dark is a six-part ITV thriller led by Laura Donnelly and Mark Rowley.
Adapted from GR Halliday’s 2020 novel From the Shadows, the series follows Detective Monica Kennedy as she hunts a serial killer who is staging bodies across the remote Scottish Highlands.
“When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community,” reads the official synopsis.
“As paranoia rises, suspicions and secrets are forced into the light, and the locals start to realise that there is a serial killer hidden amongst them.”
Donnelly, best known for Outlander, is joined by a stellar supporting cast including Helen Baxendale, Emun Elliott, Stella Gonet, Tunji Kasim and Catherine McCormack.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of The Dark and the characters they play.
- Laura Donnelly as DI Monica Kennedy
- Mark Rowley as DC Connor Crawford
- Helen Baxendale as Bethany Morgan
- Emun Elliott as Barclay Adams
- Tunji Kasim as Michael Bach
- Stella Gonet as Angela Kennedy
- Catherine McCormack as Gloria MacLennan
- Rona Morison as Philly
- Cal MacAninch as Stephen Wright
- Jatinder Singh Randhawa as DC Ewan Dhillon
- Phil McKee as Don Cameron
- Brian Ferguson as Kyle Ward
- Emily Mac as Tammy Ward
- Liam King as Scott MacKay
- Jack Hesketh as Owen MacLennan
- Tamsin Jordan as Lucy Kennedy
- Aaron McVeigh as Rob Wright
- Anders Hayward as James Brooke
- Ian Pirie as PD Duncan Gregg
- Lois Chimimba as PC Carol Stewart
- Hayat Kamille as Dr Hana Hadid
- Jim Kitson as Muir Maitland
- Charlie Geany as Sandy Allen
- Nicholas Nunn as Nichol Morgan
For more information about the characters and where you’ve seen the people who play them before, read on.
Laura Donnelly as DI Monica Kennedy
Who is DI Monica Kennedy? Monica Kennedy is a driven, guarded detective raising her young daughter Lucy while pursuing the case of her career. Beneath a stoic police persona she carries considerable shame and a complicated past, and her return to a rural community she once investigated stirs up old wounds as the killings escalate.
Where you’ve seen Laura Donnelly before: Donnelly played Jenny Fraser Murray across the first three seasons of Outlander, and has since taken key roles in Sky’s Britannia, HBO’s The Nevers, Hulu’s Say Nothing and Marvel’s Werewolf by Night, where she played reluctant monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone. The Dark marks her first time playing a detective.
Mark Rowley as DC Connor Crawford
Who is DC Connor Crawford? Charismatic and easy-going, Crawford is a gym-loving detective whose macho exterior hides a highly intuitive, emotionally intelligent copper. New to murder cases, he chips away at Monica’s defences with humour and persistence, and the pair gradually build a bond rooted in mutual respect.
Where you’ve seen Mark Rowley before: Rowley is known for Karen Pirie, Trigger Point and The Last Kingdom.
Helen Baxendale as Bethany Morgan
Who is Bethany Morgan? Bethany is a deeply religious mother of two young men living in an isolated, austere farmhouse. Controlled by her husband Barclay and mourning one missing son, she is pushed to action when tragedy strikes again, revealing a steelier side than her meek exterior suggests.
Where you’ve seen Helen Baxendale before: Baxendale is best known as Rachel in Cold Feet and as Emily Waltham in Friends, and has more recently appeared in Noughts + Crosses and Cuckoo.
Emun Elliott as Barclay Adams
Who is Barclay Adams? Barclay is Bethany’s intimidating husband, a tough man of the land involved in low-level criminal enterprises. Stepfather to her sons, he distrusts the police who failed to find his missing stepson and would rather take justice into his own hands, making him an immediate suspect.
Where you’ve seen Emun Elliott before: Elliott’s credits include The Gold, Guilt and Sexy Beast.
Tunji Kasim as Michael Bach
Who is Michael Bach? Michael is a jaded social worker who once turned to the profession to help vulnerable young men after his brother’s death. Disillusioned by a failing system, he first crossed paths with Monica years earlier over a missing young man, and their reunion finds him a very different figure.
Where you’ve seen Tunji Kasim before: The Scottish-Nigerian actor played Ned Nickerson across all four seasons of Nancy Drew and Adolphus, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. His other credits include Shetland and Cold Feet.
Stella Gonet plays Angela Kennedy
Who is Angela Kennedy? Angela is Monica’s warm, funny mother, a keen cook and devourer of true-crime documentaries who helps care for granddaughter Lucy. Her closeness can feel claustrophobic to Monica, and the pair hold conflicting memories of Monica’s late father.
Where you’ve seen Stella Gonet before: Gonet’s credits include The Salisbury Poisonings and Breeders.
Catherine McCormack plays Gloria MacLennan
Who is Gloria MacLennan? She runs the saw mill, and her son has spent time in prison.
Where you’ve seen Catherine McCormack before: McCormack made her name as Murron MacClannough in Braveheart, and has since appeared in Dangerous Beauty, Spy Game, 28 Weeks Later and, more recently, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.
Rona Morison plays Philly
Who is Philly? “She has a relationship with a strange woman who comes into her life called Philly, but you can’t work out what’s going on there, it’s certainly not a sexual relationship, but what could they possibly have in common?” said Donnelly.
What else has Rona Morrison been in? Her credits include Our Ladies and Macbeth.
Cal MacAninch plays Stephen Wright
Who is Stephen Wright? Stephen works at the local saw mill and has history with Bethany.
What else has Cal MacAninch been in? You might know him from Holby Blue, Trigger Point, Vigil and Mr Selfridge, among others.
Jatinder Singh Randhawa plays DC Ewan Dhillon
Who is DC Ewan Dhillon? A slightly awkward, bumbling detective also assigned to the case.
What else has Jatinder Singh Randhawa been in? He has appeared in The Control Room and Crime.
Phil McKee plays Don Cameron
Who is Don Cameron? “He is suspected to be behind a few cold cases” – and is naturally a suspect in Monica’s investigation. “Connor goes to the gym all the time, and he drinks protein shakes,” said executive producer Ben Stephenson. “The opposite of Monica’s thinking. But over the course of the series, you discover they both have more in common than you think.”
What else has Phil McKee been in? You might know him from The Rig, Professor T and Jekyll and Hyde, among others.
Brian Ferguson plays Kyle Ward
Who is Kyle Ward? The headmaster of the local high school, which his daughter attends.
What else has Brian Ferguson been in? Rebus, The Ipcress File and The Victim.
Emily Mac plays Tammy Ward
Who is Tammy Ward? Kyle’s daughter. She works at the local pub.
What else has Emily Mac been in? This is her first major TV role.
Liam King plays Scott MacKay
Who is Scott Mackay? He works for Don and lives largely on protein shakes.
What else has Liam King been in? King has appeared in multiple theatre shows, but this appears to be his first TV role.
Jack Hesketh plays Owen MacLennan
Who is Owen MacLennan? Gloria’s son. He’s already spent time in prison for a violent crime, and he finds himself on the police’s radar once again following a spate of recent murders.
What else has Jack Hesketh been in? His credits include Crime and Karen Pirie.
Additional cast:
- Tamsin Jordan plays Lucy Kennedy – Monica’s daughter.
- Aaron McVeigh (Dept Q) plays Rob Wright – Stephen’s son. He works at the pub with Tammy.
- Anders Hayward (Summerwater, Wild Cherry) plays James Brooke – a social worker.
- Ian Pirie (Robin Hood, Da Vinci’s Demons) plays PD Duncan Gregg.
- Lois Chimimba (Coldwater, Nightsleeper) plays PC Carol Stewart.
- Hayat Kamille (Wild Cherry, Vikings: Valhalla) plays Dr Hana Hadid.
- Jim Kitson (Dinosau, land of Women) plays Muir Maitland – the pub landlord.
- Charlie Geany (Gifted The Dumping Ground) plays Sandy Allen – he goes to school with Tammy and Rob. Sandy grew up in the care system.
- Nicholas Nunn (Gone, The Victim) plays Nichol Morgan – Bethany and Barclay’s eldest son, who disappeared years ago
The Dark premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 12 July 2026, with the second episode following on Monday 13 July.
Add The Dark to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
