Cast announced for Michaela Coel's new BBC One drama, First Day on Earth

Michaela Coel will star alongside Thandiwe Newton, Maxine Peake, Danny Sapani and Ncuti Gatwa.

BBC One has announced that filming has begun on Michaela Coel's new drama First Day on Earth, which sees Coel play British-Ghanaian novelist Henri, who is on the run. On the run from herself, her life, her partner, and that weird guy at her book talk.

When she ends up in Ghana, her ancestral homeland, she finds herself submerged in an altogether different world. Amidst new friends, fresh joy, and many different and nuanced relationships, Henri also finds secrets, lies, difficulty and denial, leading her to question everything about herself, her heritage and her family.

Joining Michaela will be Thandiwe Newton as Anya, Maxine Peake as Helen, Danny Sapani as Ernest and Ncuti Gatwa as Darren.

Michaela Coel will write, star and serve as an executive producer on the 10-part series, with Sam Miller co-directing and also serving as an executive producer alongisde Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited, Jo McClellan for the BBC and will be produced by Johann Knobel.

It'll be co-produced by the BBC and HBO, produced by Various Artists Limited and FALKNA and has been made in association with A24.

First Day On Earth will air on BBC One