Channel 4’s new thriller The Gathering is a story about competition, class and coming of age, all underpinned by a thrilling mystery: is it any wonder it’s taking the country by storm?
Set in Merseyside, the show opens with a young woman being attacked at an illegal beach rave, then goes back in time to show us how everything came to this.
The cast is mostly made up of young, emergent acting talent – with a few great veterans as well. Here’s our breakdown of who they are, and who they play.
Kelly, played by Eva Morgan
Kelly is the protagonist of the show: a working-class teenager who spends her spare time pursuing free running, which she took up after her mother’s death. However, she’s also fighting to make the cut in elite gymnastics.
She’s played by Eva Morgan, a 22 year old Liverpool local. “Growing up, there wasn’t much female scouse representation that I’d seen on screen. The way Kelly was written echoed certain experiences with me, too: I have such a loving and protective Dad,” she told Country & Townhouse magazine.
This is Morgan’s first role – in 2023, she graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Adam, played by Sonny Walker
Adam is a free-runner and a DJ, who’s very close to Kelly and her family. He strikes up a relationship with Jessica over the course of the series.
Walker himself is a model and welterweight boxer who also works as an actor. He’s originally from Merseyside, and apart from The Gathering, he’s also appeared in The Responder and Doctor Who. “I feel like audiences will get to see people like me – from Liverpool with a Liverpudlian accent and it’s going to touch the hearts of Scousers,” he told the Echo about the show. “I’m very proud of my voice and my accent and I’m very proud to be on the show that portrays the lives of people within Merseyside.”
Jessica, played by Sadie Soverall
Jessica is Kelly’s friend turned rival. Though she seems to have it all, she also has to contend with the expectations of her pushy mother, Natalie – and as Jessica struggles to make the cut as a gymnast, it’s that toxic dynamic that fuels the series.
Sadie Soverall, who plays her, is a 23 year old actor from London. She first appeared in 2019 Irish drama Rose Plays Julie, before she played the antagonist in the Netflix fantasy show Fate: The Winx Saga. She also appeared briefly in the film of 2023, Saltburn, in a supporting role as Annabel – and she’s set to appear opposite Nicolas Cage this summer in upcoming action film Arcadian. She is currently in the Donmar’s revival of The Cherry Orchard.
Paul, played by Warren Brown
Paul is Kelly’s dad. He works as a groundskeeper for the local council, and is struggling to keep his family together in the wake of his wife’s death – and serious trouble is brewing for him.
Warren Brown has had a fascinating career. A former World Thai Boxing Champion, he’s been acting since the early 2000s and has racked up roles in Idris Elba’s police show Luther (as DS Ripley), in The Responder and in Stephen Graham show Occupation.
In 2023, he was awarded Best Actor for his role as Terry in the drama Ten Pound Poms at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.
Natalie, played by Vinette Robinson
Natalie is Jessica’s mother. A single mum, she runs her own PR agency and has huge expectations for her daughter – for whom she is willing to threaten and blackmail anybody who stands in her way. Tiger mum doesn’t even come close to describing how ferocious she is.
Bradford-born Vinette Robinson began acting when she was 13 (her first audition was for the role of Queen Amidala in the Star Wars films) and later starred in 2019 film The Rise of Skywalker, being particularly notable as part of the first-ever same-sex kiss in the franchise.
Over the years, she’s appeared in Sherlock, Black Mirror, Waterloo Road and Doctor Who – and recently in 2023 chef drama Boiling Point as chef Carly, in a spinoff of the original BAFTA-winning film.
Bazi, played by Luca Kamleh-Chapman
Bazi is a Syrian refugee and freerunner with whom Kelly strikes up a relationship.
Kamleh-Chapman is a graduate of the Oxford School of Drama. Though he’s appeared before in productions at the Royal Court, this is his first on-screen role.
Charlie, played by Ryan Quarmby
Charlie lives a privileged life: he attends a private school, and trains as a boxer in his spare time. However, he’s also hiding a secret from his father.
Ryan Quarmby is another new face: he most recently appeared in ITV show The Last Kingdom, and in Call the Midwife.
Jules, played by Richard Coyle
Jules is Charlie’s father – another helicopter parent, who puts a lot of pressure on his son to succeed. He becomes entangled with the lives of Kelly’s family after an altercation with her dad Paul.
Richard Coyle, who plays him, is probably best known for his role as Aberforth in the Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. However, he’s also appeared in Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, in TV show The Fall and Six Four and as Jeff Murdock in the sitcom Coupling and is a staple on stage including the recent Ian McKellen show Player Kings in the West End.
