A Thousand Blows and This Is England stars confirmed for What It Feels Like For a Girl

Additional cast members include Laquarn Lewis (Jamie Johnson), Hannah Jones, Adam Ali (Waterloo Road), Alex Thomas-Smith (Too Much), Calam Lynch (Sweetpea), Jake Dunn (Renegade Nell) and Dickie Beau (Bohemian Rhapsody).

The eight-part series has been described as a "raw, heartbreaking and hilarious drama that explores escape, self-discovery and self-destruction".

With a new millennium and a whole world to explore, teenager Byron (Howard) is stuck in a small working-class town that hasn't been the same since the coal mine shut down in the '80s, and he needs to get away and doesn't care how.

The synopsis reads: "Life explodes in a rush when Byron escapes to Nottingham’s vibrant underworld, discovering a realm of drink, drugs, and a chaotic family of troublemakers – 'The Fallen Divas'. Byron finds a gang of kindred spirits in the mesmerising Lady Die (Lewis), Sticky Nikki (Thomas-Smith), Dirty Damian (Ali), while an intense rivalry brews between Byron and the beautiful, acid-tongued Sasha (Jones).

"Between them, they beg, steal and skank their way on a rollercoaster ride of hedonism at the heart of the UK's early 2000s club scene. The party can't last forever though, and when Byron is seduced by bad-boy Liam (Lynch), a shocking encounter occurs that will change life forever."

Further cast includes Emma Shipp (Rivals), Sekou Diaby (Boarders), Laura Checkley (Screw), Oliver Huntingdon (Sherwood), Lorn Macdonald (Bridgerton) and Rhys Connah (Happy Valley), with guest appearances from Fay Ripley (Cold Feet) and Selina Mosinski (aka Charity Shop Sue).

Paris Lees said: "This is a proudly working-class story, and it needed a cast who could bring it to life authentically. We've struck gold with these highly talented actors, some of whom are already familiar faces - and some who are about to be. The biggest challenge was always the lead role – we're following someone who’s going from, in the eyes of the outside world, a schoolboy, right up to a trans woman starting university, and all that's in between.

"The moment I saw Ellis, I recognised something in him – a cheekiness, a delicateness, a complexity - and knew he was the one. And he rose to the challenge, again and again. The chemistry between El, Hannah, Laquarn and the rest of the Fallen Divas is something you can only dream of in drama."

While Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: "We can’t wait to take viewers back to the early noughties to see our magnificent cast shine in this big-hearted and brave new series. Paris and the Hera Pictures team have created a phenomenal eight episodes of genre-defining television, packed with swagger, humour, and humanity."

Hera Pictures MD and executive producer Liza Marshall commented: "We couldn’t be prouder of the phenomenal cast leading What It Feels Like for a Girl, who join a team of brilliant creatives in bringing Paris’s daringly distinctive vision to the screen. Ellis and the rest of the ensemble – an exciting mix of new and established talent - deliver incredible performances, bringing these anarchic, sharp-witted characters to life."

What It Feels Like For a Girl is coming to BBC One and iPlayer soon.

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