The Woman in the Wall – a gritty new gothic thriller co-produced by BBC One and Showtime – brings the dark history of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries into the light. It stars Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) as Lorna, an Irish woman whose traumatic past threatens to upend her reality in disturbing ways.
The first of six episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer on August 27, ahead of its Showtime debut in November. Currently away from the U.K.? You can watch The Woman in the Wall online from anywhere with a VPN.
U.K. date and time: The Woman in the Wall premieres Sunday (Aug. 27) at 9:05 p.m. BST on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
U.S. date: The show is due to premiere in November on Showtime (date TBC).
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Created by Joe Murtagh (Gangs of London) and featuring acclaimed actress Ruth Wilson alongside the BAFTA-nominated Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), The Woman in the Wall explores Ireland's infamous Magdalene Laundries, which existed to house 'fallen women' – sex workers, unwed mothers – considered in danger of falling into further vice.
This story is told through the character of Lorna Brady (played by Wilson). She’s traumatised by her adolescent incarceration at the fictional Kilkinure Laundry when her newborn child was taken from her. As a result, she's acutely prone to sleepwalking. So when Lorna awakes to find a dead woman in her home one day, she’s troubled to think she might be the killer.
Meanwhile, Detective Colman Akande (McCormack) suspects the murder of a Dublin priest is connected to the unrest in Kilkinure. "Would any of the women from the Laundry have had a reason to harm Father Percy?" he enquires. As new details emerge, the detective is forced to confront his own troubled past, with criminal figures desperate to conceal their misdeeds and the local survivors bent on justice.
This BBC/Showtime co-production airs in the U.K. first (U.S. viewers will have to wait until November for the Showtime premiere). Read on for how to watch The Woman in the Wall free on BBC iPlayer, from wherever you are.
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How to watch The Woman in the Wall FREE online
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How to watch The Woman in the Wall online from anywhere with a VPN
Currently traveling in a country where BBC iPlayer isn’t available? With the right VPN (Virtual private network), you can continue to access your usual platforms and watch your favorite shows online no matter where in the world you are.
We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. It's also affordable at $12.95 per month. (Signing up for longer periods of six months or a year reduces the cost even more down to a minimum of $6.67).
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to BBC iPlayer and stream new episodes of The Woman in the Wall online.
How to watch The Woman in the Wall online FREE in the U.S.
The Woman in the Wall is a BBC One / Showtime co-production, meaning it will be available to stream via Paramount Plus with Showtime or directly through Showtime.com. However, it’s not expected to hit U.S. streaming services until November.
Paramount Plus with Showtime usually costs $11.99 a month. But in good news, at the time of writing, new users can get a 30-day free trial. Just be sure to enter the code NEWHOME when making your purchase.
Those with cable or who add the Showtime channel to an online service like Sling TV or Fubo, however, can watch The Woman in the Wall a few days later when it receives its linear TV broadcast.
Can I watch The Woman in the Wall online in Canada?
The Woman in the Wall will be available on Paramount Plus in Canada. However, the exact release date is still to be confirmed.
A subscription to Paramount Plus costs CAD$9.99 per month or you can pay CAD$99.99 for the annual option. But before you pay a thing there’s a handy 7-day free trial available to new subscribers.
Abroad and unable to access BBC iPlayer? As mentioned above, a VPN will let you stream The Woman in the Wall online from anywhere.
Can I watch The Woman in the Wall online in Australia?
No release date has been announced yet, but we know the BBC drama series will be exclusive to Paramount Plus in Australia when it does premiere.
Paramount Plus is available Down Under for AU$9.99 a month after the 7-day free trial. Alternatively, you can pay the one-off fee of AU$99.99 for the annual plan and save 16% when compared to monthly payment over a year.
Remember: if you're usually based in the U.K., you could still connect to BBC iPlayer and stream The Woman in the Wall live or on-demand via ExpressVPN.
What is The Woman in the Wall?
The Woman in the Wall trailer
The trailer introduces us to a troubled Laura Brady, recalling the abduction of her newborn child while incarcerated in one of Ireland's infamous Magdalene Laundries. She's gained a violent reputation and is prone to fugue states as a result of her trauma. So when Detective Colman Akande investigates the murder of a priest, she becomes a key suspect. The propulsive thriller sees Brady questioning her grasp on reality as she races to find her child, revisiting the stern nuns who mistreated her for information, and, along with Akande, discovering the full, horrible extent of the Magdalene Laundries scandal.
The Woman in the Wall cast
Beloved British actor Ruth Wilson stars alongside Daryl McCormack as Lorna Brady and Detective Akande respectively: two very different people brought together by the fallout of the Magdalene Laundries scandal. The full cast is as follows:
- Ruth Wilson as Lorna Brady
- Abby Fitz as Young Lorna
- Daryl McCormack as Detective Colman Akande
- Simon Delaney as Sgt. Aidan Massey
- Chizzy Akudolu as Lola Akande
- Charles Abomeli as Tayo Akande
- Fiona Browne as Margaret Brady
- Liam Heslin as Luke Drennan
- Hilda Fay as Amy Kane
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