Mr Bates vs The Post Office cast: Meet the characters
The ITV drama tackles a staggering real-life scandal.
Few dramas have had an impact as immediate and enormous as ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which horrified a nation with the grave injustice suffered by innocent workers over two decades.
One element that propelled the show to such great heights was the stellar cast assembled to tell the story, led by Toby Jones as campaigner Alan Bates, who has tirelessly fought for subpostmasters affected by the scandal.
Monica Dolan and Will Mellor earned praise for their sensitive portrayals of two such individuals – Jo Hamilton and Lee Castleton respectively – while Coronation Street alum Julie Hesmondhalgh portrayed Alan's wife and rock, Suzanne.
On the other side of the scandal, there were memorable turns from Lia Williams and Katherine Kelly as then-Post Office CEO Paula Vennells and then-company director Angela van den Bogerd.
Dolan and Mellor were among the esteemed guests at this year's Radio Times Covers Party, where they spoke on the "unprecedented" response to the show and the "danger" of an inadequate settlement for victims.
Read on for more information about the cast of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, including the real figures they are playing and where you might have seen them before.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office cast
The full cast list for Mr Bates vs The Post Office is as follows...
- Toby Jones as Alan Bates
- Julie Hesmondhalgh as Suzanne Sercombe
- Monica Dolan as Jo Hamilton
- Will Mellor as Lee Castleton
- Amy Nuttall as Lisa Castleton
- Krupa Pattani as Saman Kaur
- Amit Shah as Jasgun Singh
- Ifan Huw Dafydd as Noel Thomas
- Shaun Dooley as Michael Rudkin
- Lesley Nicol as Pam Stubbs
- Lia Williams as Paula Vennells
- Katherine Kelly as Angela Van den Bogerd
- Ian Hart as Bob Rutherford
- Isobel Middleton as Kay Linnell
- Alex Jennings as James Arbuthnot
- John Hollingworth as James Hartley
- Adam James as Patrick Green QC
- Colin Tierney as Martin Griffiths
- Clare Calbraith as Gina Griffiths
- Pip Torrens as Mr Justice Fraser
For more information about the characters and where you've seen the cast before, read on...
Toby Jones as Alan Bates
Who is Alan Bates? A subpostmaster from Wales who is wrongly accused of fraud. Following his exit from the profession, he becomes an activist, campaigning tirelessly to achieve justice for all of his colleagues who had been wronged by the Post Office.
Where have I seen Toby Jones before? You might have watched Toby Jones in Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Captain America, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, BBC comedy Detectorists, ITV true crime drama The Long Shadow, Frost/Nixon and The Girl, among many, many others.
Katherine Kelly as Angela van den Bogerd
Who is Angela Van den Bogerd? The Post Office director, who works closely with CEO Paula Vennells.
Where have I seen Katherine Kelly before? She's best known for ITV series Coronation Street, Innocent, The Long Shadow and Mr Selfridge, and Netflix's Criminal.
Lia Williams as Paula Vennells
Who is Paula Vennells? The chief executive officer of Post Office Limited. She's also an Anglican priest.
Where have I seen Lia Williams before? She's appeared in Netflix's The Crown, fantasy series His Dark Materials, BBC thriller The Capture and ITV's Doc Martin.
Monica Dolan as Jo Hamilton
Who is Jo Hamilton? A subpostmistress from South Warnborough, Hampshire, who is wrongly accused of theft and taken to court by her employer.
Where have I seen Monica Dolan before? Her extensive CV includes Alan Partridge, Black Mirror, ITV true crime dramas The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe and Appropriate Adult and BBC drama A Very English Scandal.
Will Mellor as Lee Castleton
Who is Lee Castleton? A subpostmaster from Bridlington, Yorkshire, who is taken to court by the Post Office for missing funds.
Where have I seen Will Mellor before? He's best known for roles in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Channel 4 comedy-drama No Offence and Coronation Street.
Amy Nuttall as Lisa Castleton
Who is Lisa Castleton? Lee's wife. They have two children together.
Where have I seen Amy Nuttall before? She's best known for Emmerdale, playing Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap from 2000 until 2005. She's also appeared in Downton Abbey as housemaid Ethel Parks.
Julie Hesmondhalgh as Suzanne Sercombe
Who is Suzanne Sercombe? She's married to Alan and joins him in his campaign for justice.
Where have I seen Julie Hesmondhalgh before? Most people will know her for playing Hayley Cropper on Coronation Street from 1998 to 2014. You might also have watched Hesmondhalgh in BBC drama The Pact and ITV series Broadchurch.
Krupa Pattani as Saman Kaur
Who is Saman Kaur? A subpostmistress from the midlands who is also accused of stealing from her employer, which causes her mental health to collapse.
Where have I seen Krupa Pattani before? You might know her from Hollyoaks – she portrayed Farrah Maalik for almost two years between June 2017 and May 2019. She also appeared in the BBC sitcom Citizen Khan.
Amit Shah as Jasgun Singh
Who is Jasgun Singh? Saman Kaur's husband, who joins the campaign for justice with his wife.
Where have I seen Amit Shah before? Many viewers will recognise him from the final season of Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley, in which he played pharmacist Faisal Bhatti.
Ifan Huw Dafydd as Noel Thomas
Who is Noel Thomas? A subpostmaster who is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit.
Where have I seen Ifan Huw Dafydd before? His credits include Gavin & Stacey, BBC comedy The Indian Doctor, Welsh drama Alys and Holby City.
Shaun Dooley as Michael Rudkin
Who is Michael Rudkin? Michael discovers insider information about practices at Fujitsu through his role as a union leader. He also ran a post office in Leicestershire with his wife Susan, who was wrongly prosecuted for theft.
Where have I seen Shaun Dooley before? His CV includes The Long Shadow, Black Mirror, Sally Wainwright's Gentleman Jack, Netflix's The Stranger, sci-fi comedy Misfits, EastEnders and Coronation Street.
Lesley Nicol as Pam Stubbs
Who is Pam Stubbs? A subpostmistress at the Barkham Post Office in Berkshire, who also had false charges levelled against her.
Where have I seen Lesley Nicol before? She's best known for Downton Abbey, in which she played Beryl Patmore.
Ian Hart as Bob Rutherford
Who is Bob Rutherford? An independent investigator hired by the Post Office to look into the complaints mounting against the organisation.
Where have I seen Ian Hart before? You might know him from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Netflix's The Last Kingdom, BBC crime thriller The Responder, comedy My Mad Fat Diary and the film God's Own Country.
Isobel Middleton as Kay Linnell
Who is Kay Linnell? A forensic accountant who becomes involved in the the campaign.
Where have I seen Isobel Middleton before? You might recognise her voice from long-running radio series The Archers, in which she plays Anna Tregorran. She's also appeared in Emmerdale and EastEnders.
Alex Jennings as James Arbuthnot
Who is James Arbuthnot? The MP for North East Hampshire, who is first introduced to the scandal through Jo Hamilton.
Where have I seen Alex Jennings before? Many viewers will know him from The Crown, The Lady in the Van, season 3 of ITV's Unforgotten, BBC drama A Very English Scandal, BBC medical drama This Is Going to Hurt and Your Christmas of Mine?, among others.
John Hollingworth as James Hartley
Who is James Hartley? A lawyer who works in dispute resolution and risk mitigation.
Where have I seen John Hollingworth before? Most viewers will recognise him from BBC period drama Poldark – he played regular character Captain Henshawe between 2015 and 2017.
Adam James as Patrick Green QC
Who is Patrick Green QC? A barrister who takes on the Post Office.
Where have I seen Adam James before? He's appeared in Netflix series Treason and You, ITV crime drama The Suspect, Michael Coel's I May Destroy You, BBC drama Doctor Foster, period drama Belgravia and Vigil season 1, among others.
Additional cast includes:
- Colin Tierney (Coronation Street, EastEnders) as Martin Griffiths - a subpostmaster from Great Sutton, Cheshire, who kills himself
- Clare Calbraith (Heartbeat, Coronation Street, Vera) as Gina Griffiths - Martin's wife
- Pip Torrens (The Crown, Preacher) as Mr Justice Fraser - the judge who oversees the court case
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Read more:
- What happened to Angela van den Bogerd from Mr Bates vs The Post Office?
- Mr Bates vs The Post Office star on how legal risks impacted script
Mr Bates vs the Post Office is available now on ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
