Mullingar actor lands lead role in UK drama

(Above) Niamh Algar.

Mullingar actor Niamh Algar has landed herself the lead role in a new Channel 4 true-crime drama.

She will play Lizzie James, an undercover police officer who is asked to start a relationship with Colin Stagg, the chief suspect in the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell.

The four part drama, My Name is Lizzie, will feature verbatim dialogue from the actual investigation, which led to Stagg being mistakenly accused of murder. Nickell's killer, Robert Napper, was convicted in 2008 on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Filming of the series is expected to begin later this year.

The head of Channel 4 drama Caroline Hollick said that the series “will shine a light on one of the most shocking stories in modern policing”.

Speaking about Algar, she said that the actor is “fast becoming an iconic star of the channel”.

Algar's break out role was in another Channel 4 drama, The Virtues, which was first aired last year. She tweeted yesterday that she is “thrilled to be teaming up again with Channel 4 for this very special new drama”.

The Mullingar native has quickly become one of the most in-demand and critically acclaimed young actors in Ireland and the UK.

Following her well received performance in The Virtues, which was written and directed by Shane Meadows, Niamh was nominated for a Breakthrough BAFTA.

Last month it was announced that she had also been nominated for three IFTAs, Ireland's most prestigious film and television awards.

She has been nominated in the Actress in a Supporting Role Film category for her performance in Calm With Horses, which was released to widespread acclaim earlier this year; in the Actress in a Lead Role Drama category for her performance in the The Virtues and in the Actress in a Supporting Role Drama for Pure, another Channel Four drama.

She is due to return to our screens this week in the Ridley Scott directed sci-fi drama series, Raised By Wolves, which premiers on HBO Max next Thursday, September 3.