Joe Cole has admitted that his new BBC series Nightsleeper might make viewers think twice before getting on a train.
The six-part thriller, written by Bafta-winner Nick Leather, follows the tense hijacking of a sleeper train traveling from Glasgow to London over the course of one night.
Cole stars as off-duty police officer Joe Roag, who works alongside National Cyber Security Centre director Abby Aysgarth (played by Alexandra Roach), connected only by a satellite phone.
As Abby tries to stop the hijacking from afar, Joe manages rising tensions on board as the situation spirals out of control.
Speaking to The Standard at a special screening of the series at the BFI Southbank, Cole, 35, joked: “I think not many people are going to want to get on a train after this.
“We're stuck on a train for six hours, and its real time, and you get all those effects. So, yeah, hopefully people enjoy it.”
Filming had its challenges, as the production used a purpose-built train set with LED screens simulating the British Rail network outside. And it proved so realistic that some cast members even experienced motion sickness, though Cole managed to avoid it.
“A few people were taking sickness pills,” the Peaky Blinders star shared.
“The LED screens were moving as if the train was in motion, which was great for us actors because it really felt like we were on a train.
“But we were all confined to this small space, so it felt method at times—you couldn't really escape between takes.”
As for what he hopes viewers will take away from the series, the British actor said: “I hope people can relate to the characters and imagine themselves in their shoes.
“We've all been on a train, so it’s fun to picture how you’d react in this kind of situation.”
