Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 8 cast scores a Footballers' Wives fan-favourite
One of the other guest stars is considered an EastEnders legend
Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 8’s cast is tangled up in a chilling TV studio murder.
The tale of Be Not Afraid of Greatness kicks off with teleshopping studio owner Andrew Cheek hiring Luella, Frank and Sebastian to identify a mischief-maker who’s been humiliating presenter Valentina Orsino live on air.
Here, they also encounter Valentina’s colleague and husband Tony, junior presenter Maria Squires, and mousy product expert Jane Folle. Disaster soon strikes and, before long, the investigators are hunting down Valentina’s killer, who died of anaphylactic shock on camera. A joke too far?
With the channel’s 20-year anniversary celebrations underway, can our heroes root out the one responsible and save the studio? Of course they can!
Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 8 stars Laila Rouass
Laila Rouass – wife of snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan – plays victim Valentina in Shakespeare & Hathaway on U&Alibi.
Prior to finding fame in ITV’s iconic Footballers’ Wives as Amber Gates, the actress played Dale Jackson in Hollyoaks throughout 2003. The now 54-year-old eventually joined the cast of sci-fi Primeval for its third series and then Spooks as Maya Lahan – the ex-girlfriend of Richard Armitage’s Lucas North.
Across 60 episodes of Holby City, she was the cardio-thoracic surgical registrar Sahira Shah. A memorable collaboration with Ruth Jones followed in sitcom Stella in 2016.
In Netflix’s Harlan Coben thriller Safe she portrayed Lauren Marshall.
Soap legend Kacey Ainsworth is back on the box this week (Credit: BBC Studios/U&Alibi)
Little Mo actress Kacey Ainsworth plays Maria Squires
Maria Squires, who may or may not be the murderer at the centre of this episode, is played by Kacey Ainsworth in the latest episode.
For six years, she owned the nation’s heart as EastEnders character Little Mo, winning a National Television Award in the process (2002).
Kacey stayed close with the BBC after leaving Walford in 2006 and went on to play Inspector Jenny Black in Holby Blue – a Holby City spin-off police procedural that ran for two series. Since 2014, the now 56-year-old has kept portrayed Cathy Keating on detective drama Grantchester.
The Hertfordshire-born actress co-starred with future megastar Bella Ramsay in the 2017 series The Worst Witch, too. Daytime TV viewers may have spotted Kacey on the Loose Women panel from time to time.
Justin Edwards stars as Tony Orsino in episode 8
Slapping on the fake tan for this episode is Justin Edwards as Tony Orsino. A winner of the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, the 53-year-old’s sense of humour has travelled well to TV.
In political satire The Thick of It, Justin’s parliamentary scapegoat Ben Swain felt the full force of Malcolm Tucker’s tempestuous tongue. He’s portrayed The Grand Tour’s Jeremy Clarkson on three occasions; twice in sketch show Harry & Paul, and once for Murder in Successville.
Justin’s skill of expressing ineptitude took him all the way to the big screen too, playing police guys in Paddington and Thor 2. Other credits include Danny Boyle’s history-erasing Yesterday, Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin, and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
Deaf actress Jahannah James plays Jane Folle
Jahannah James has joined the latest mystery as product expert Jane Folle. She’s been on our screens as a jobbing actress since 2009.
Her CV includes episodes of 2022 show Deep Heat, which followed a frustrated wannabe wrestler, and a one-time appearance on Sister Boniface Mysteries the same year. More recently, the actress has played Jessica in the popular ITV drama Maternal.
Jahannah is partially deaf, having had a tumour in her left ear. She “went deaf overnight”, which she describes as “terrifying”.
Law & Order: UK star Fraser James plays Andrew Cheek
The man who kickstarts this whole thing is called Andrew Cheek and he’s played by Fraser James.
Familiar to watchers of Law & Order: UK as Dr Toby Marsh, he’s also been in multiple films including Resident Evil: The Last Chapter, Idris Elba’s Yardie, and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Fraser, 59, also portrayed Erasmus Fletcher in the final season of Prime Video’s Carnival Row opposite Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne.
The actor has also appeared in Outnumbered, Death in Paradise, Holby City, Endeavour, and crime drama Vera.
The full cast list for Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 8, Be Not Afraid of Greatness
Jo Joyner plays Luella Shakespeare.
Mark Benton plays Frank Hathaway.
Patrick Walshe McBride plays Sebastian Brudenell.
Laila Rouass is Valentina Orsino.
Kacey Ainsworth is Maria Squires.
Justin Edwards is Tony Orsino.
Jahannah James appears as Jane Folle.
Fraser James appears as Andrew Cheek.
Tomos Eames appears as DS Keeler.
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