The world of crime and politics during the early 20th century was brought to the fore in an exceptionally gifted way inPeaky Blinders, as the street based gang led by Tommy Shelby, rose to prominence. The series based on the street gang which dominated Birmingham after World War I already has a successor show set in nearby London. The BBC One series,Dope Girls, follows the same pattern as itsCillian Murphy-led predecessor, focusing on crime, politics, and gangs. The series which only premiered in February 2025, is a beloved of critics, holding a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% from 10 reviews.
WhileDope Girlsexplores the same gritty underbelly of urban life in England in the aftermath of World War I just likePeaky Blinders, the successor goes a step further as it approaches the world from the lens of women and the underprivileged, giving an entirely different perspective from its predecessor which told its storyprimarily from a male viewpoint.Dope Girlslooks at 1920s London’s underbelly of organised crime from the viewpoint of the female gangs running it at the time. It follows Kate Galloway, a single mum who opens and runs a nightclub in Soho, stepping into a life of criminal activity in the process. Violet Davies is one of the first wave of female cops for the MET, and she is sent undercover to investigate London’s underground nightclub scene. There, she finds Billie Cassidy, a bohemian dancer whose life is turned upside down by Kate’s arrival.
Who Stars in ‘Dope Girls’?
Dope Girlsis based on the bookDope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Undergroundby Marek Kohn and is led byJulianne Nicholsonas Kate Galloway andEliza Scanlenas Violet Davies. The rest of the cast includesUmi Myers(Bob Marley: One Love) as dancer Billie Cassidy,Geraldine James(Silo, Downton Abbey) as Isabella, the leader of the criminal Salucci family, whileRory Fleck Bryne(This Is Going To Hurt) plays Luca Salucci,Dustin Demri-Burns(Slow Horses) as Damaso Salucci,Eben Figueiredo(The Serial Killer’s Wife) as Matteo Rossi Salucci andSebastian Croft(Heartstopper) as Silvio Salucci among others.Dope Girlsaired on the BBC in early 2025 and is directed byShannon Murphy.
Prior to her time onDope Girls, Nicholson, who leads the crime drama featured in other projects with her breakout coming in theHBO miniseries,Mare of Easttown, alongsideKate Winslet. In recent times, the actress has featured in theHulu political thriller series,Paradise. While speaking in arecent conversation, Nicholson recanted her time working on Dope Girls, saying:
“Yes it’s out on Hulu today. I love it. We filmed that in Cardiff in Wales. It was very exciting to be the lead in a BBC show. Having just moved there, having watched BBC dramas my whole life. This is not just straight historical fiction. It is a little more punk rock imaginative, but based on actual events. Shannon Murphy directs. She directed a movie calledBabyteeth. I was a huge fan of hers, and she did the first three episodes ofDope Girls, which was a thrill.”
Dope Girlsis available to stream on Hulu exclusively in the US.
Dope Girls
