The Witchfinder premiered on BBC Two earlier this year to positive acclaim. The show is created by Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons, more popularly referred to as the Gibbons brothers, and is executive-produced by Steve Coogan and Christine Langan. The Gibbons brothers are best known for their work on Alan Partridge projects, earning them a nomination as best comedy writers at the 2017 British Academy Television Craft Awards. A description of the show, via Deadline, is as follows: “[T]he story follows a failing witchfinder (Key) as he transports a suspected witch (Cooper) across 1640s East Anglia to a trial that could change his fortunes forever. But his captive is the worst possible travel companion: an inquisitive, uncouth woman whose ability to prick his pomposity and ask uncomfortable questions turns a straightforward journey into a life-changing ordeal.” The Witchfinder features an interesting list of cast members, many of whom are comedy veterans who have worked on critically acclaimed projects. If you want to learn more about the cast of The Witchfinder, look no further. Here are the cast members of the BBC Two sitcom series The Witchfinder.
Tim Key
Tim Key stars in The Witchfinder as Gideon Bannister. Key is a prominent British comedian whose work ranges from stage, radio, and TV, to film. The actor is best known for his role as Alan Partridge’s sidekick Simon in Mid Morning Matters, Alpha Papa, and This Time. Key is also a prolific writer, having written a total of five books.
Daisy May Cooper
Daisy May Cooper plays Thomasine Gooch in the hit BBC Two series The Witchfinder. Most people would recognizer Cooper for her award-winning performance as Kerry Mucklowe in the BBC Three series This Country, a show she co-created and co-wrote with her brother, Charlie Cooper. For her role in the show, she won the 2018 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. Her film credits include performances in Avenue 5, Taskmaster, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus the World, where she appeared as a guest judge. Cooper is set to appear in an upcoming six-part comedy thriller series titled Am I Being Unreasonable? Daisy May Cooper has a memoir, titled Don’t Laugh, It’ll Only Encourage Her. Here’s a description of her memoir, from Penguin: “Don’t Laugh, It’ll Only Encourage Her takes us from Cooper’s childhood in Cirencester – where she still lives, known locally as “Daisy who pissed on a gym mat in Year 3” – through to her experiences at drama school; the brutal, crushing reality of the industry she entered after it and the long, hard journey to get This Country on television, alongside highly entertaining memories of accidental exotic dancing, Eurocamp brochures, a Sylvanian Families massacre and a boyfriend who wanted her to treat him like a human ashtray (and then dumped her for being too vanilla). “I don’t know why I’m fly paper for all these humiliating experiences, but I am,” she quips.”
Jessica Hynes
Jessica Hynes plays Old Myers in The Witchfinder. Previously known as Jessica Stevenson, Hynes is best known as one of the creators, writers, and stars of Spaced. Hynes is a multi-awarded actress. She’s received nominations for the Tony Awards and Laurence Olivier Award. She’s received five BAFTA nominations, of which she won two, as well as three British Comedy Awards, of which she also won two. Hynes’ more recent TV work includes appearances in The Crystal Maze, There She Goes, Years and Years, and Mood. Hynes is currently filming Life After Life, a TV adaptation of the novel of the same name. Her big-screen performances include Swallows and Amazons, Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Fight, Paddington 2, Alright Now, Nativity Rocks!, and Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse.
Daniel Rigby
Another BAFTA winner appearing in The Witchfinder is Daniel Rigby, who plays the role of Hebble in the series. Rigby is best known for his role as Eric Morecambe in the TV film Eric and Ernie, which won him the BAFTA TV award. The actor’s more recent work includes Sick Note, Watership Down, Defending the Guilty, and Landscapers, which also starred Oscar winner Olivia Colman. Rigby’s film appearances include Flyboys, Stand Up, Chloe and Will’s Hot Date Night, The Kidnapping of Richard Franco, Sump, and Careful How You Go. Rigby is also a frequent actor on stage, having lent his talents to stage productions of Twelfth Night, Frost/Nixon, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tuwaine Barrett
Tuwaine Barrett plays Cumberlidge in The Witchfinder. His acting profile on IMDb describes him as follows: “Tuwaine Barrett is an actor, born in Battersea, London. After graduating from The BRIT School in 2012, Tuwaine went on to further education at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts to study BA (Hons) in Acting and graduated in 2017. He is known for his role in You Don’t Know Me (2021).”
Reece Shearsmith
Reece Shearsmith plays the role of Matthew Hopkins in The Witchfinder. Shearsmith is best known for his sitcom Psychoville, which he created, wrote, and starred in. Shearsmith appeared in movies like A Field in England, The World’s End. High-Rise, Borley Rectory, In the Earth, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Shearsmith is set to appear in the mystery film See How They Run, directed by Tom George, which is currently in post-production. On TV, Shearsmith worked in Good Omens, The League of Gentlemen, The Adventures of Paddington, The Great British Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer, and Foundation.
Michael Culkin
Michael Culkin portrays Lord Salisbury in the BBC Two series The Witchfinder. The veteran Irish actor is most notably known for his portrayal of Judge Buller in the BBC drama Garrow’s Law. Culkin has appeared in some of the greatest TV and film projects over the past few years. He appeared in the first two seasons of The Crown as Rab Butler. He performed in Iron Lady alongside Oscar winner Meryl Streep and acted in A Very English Scandal, opposite Hugh Grant, where he portrayed politician Reginald Maulding.
Rosie Cavaliero
Rosie Cavaliero plays Mrs. Jennings in the BBC Two series The Witchfinder. She is best known for her appearances in Friday Night Dinner, Hold the Sunset, Gentleman Jack, Worzel Gummidge, Code 404, and Black Narcissus.
Dan Skinner
Dan Skinner portrays Beekeeper in the comedy series The Witchfinder. He had a recurring role in Cold Call alongside Sally Lindsay.
Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson portrays Crockett in the BBC Two series The Witchfinder. An actor with decades of experience, the 82-year-old actor portrayed Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker, and Jim Royle in The Royle Family.
Follow Us