Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators series 5 - episode 1 plot and guest cast
Dan Seddon | 6:00am Wed 24 SepShakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators series 5 plays to type with a terrific line-up of guest cast for episode 1 and beyond.
Jo Joyner and Mark Benton are back as the titular sleuths with Patrick Walshe McBride’s Sebastian Brudenell for company as their right-hand man.
There are recognisable faces from Sherwood, Gavin & Stacey, Endeavour, Small Axe, and Strike thrown into the mix for its return…
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators cast member Jo Joyner as Luella Shakespeare [Credit: BBC Studios]
What happens in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators series 5 episode 1?
The new series opener is titled Such a Mad Marriage Never Was Before.
An official synopsis reads: “Social media influencers Rina and Preston Shrewsbury are about to complete their home renovation and unveil it to the world before they can finally admit they hate each other and divorce.
“It’s been a trying time for their social media manager, Curtis Minoff, who is caught in the middle, and weary neighbour Mr Gremio.
“Preston thinks Rina is having an affair with handyman Nathanial Tensio, while Rina is convinced Preston keeps trying to sabotage her.
“Fortunately for them, Stratford’s top private investigators are no longer working together and so, while Preston engages Frank, Rina hires Lu.
“But what has happened to our beloved team and why is Sebastian so exhausted?
“Tensions rise on all sides and when Nathanial is found dead in the kitchen, Preston is arrested for murder by DS Keeler.”
Here’s everything we know about the five key guest cast and their characters from Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 1.
Christine Bottomley appears in the first instalment of Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 [Credit: BBC Studios]
Shakespeare & Hathaway series 5 episode 1 guest cast
Christine Bottomley plays Rina Shrewsbury
Reflecting the show’s continuous pull of great guest stars is Christine Bottomley, who plays social media nut Rina Shrewsbury.
Throughout her varied career – beginning in 2001 – the Rochdale-born star has graced everything from soaps to Christmas films and sitcoms.
Fans may recall her role as Melanie in Early Doors, or Vicky Brierly from In the Club, or Gwen in The End of the F***ing World.
Between 2019 and 2021, Christine portrayed Mandy in the dark comedy Back to Life, which followed Daisy Haggard’s ex-con Miri Matteson trying to rebuild after an 18-year stretch in the clink.
Her most widely-watched work might be the second series of Sherwood, which had previously won a Royal Television Society Programme Award.
Christine played the main character Rachel Crosley opposite Game of Thrones actor Stephen Dillane.
Andrew Knott plays Preston Shrewsbury
Then we have Andrew Knott as Rina’s husband Preston.
His career couldn’t have got off to a more fascinating start; produced by the great Francis Ford Coppola, Andrew played Dickon Sowerby in The Secret Garden for Warner Bros.
Black Beauty, The History Boys, Spike Island, and My Cousin Rachel are his other ventures into cinema.
On the TV side of things, Andrew’s biggest credits include Life on Mars, Coronation Street, Black Mirror, and Time – and most recently ITV crime drama Protection and another well-loved cosy crime series 2 of The Marlow Murder Club.
Let’s not forget his recurring part as Dirtbox in Gavin & Stacey, who he reprised in the festive finale last year.
Jake Kenny-Byrne plays Curtis Minoff
With just six years under his belt in the acting profession, Jake Kenny-Byrne is another exciting Shakespeare & Hathaway recruit.
Having spent a few years shooting short films, he then starred in Survival Box.
It told the story of a handful of high-schoolers trapped in a wealthy family’s backyard bunker.
Sole episodes in Doctors and Endeavour came next, before hitting his stride in three of Miss Austen’s four instalments.
Liverpool-based sitcom G’wed gave Jake a meatier job as Christopher, and he’ll return for series 3.
Derek Griffiths is another new recruit as Mr Gremio [Credit: BBC Studios]
Derek Griffiths plays Mr Gremio
Veteran actor Derek Griffiths portrays Mr Gremio, the weary neighbour of the Shrewsburys.
A huge inspiration to Black Mirror creator and TV presenter Charlie Brooker, he’s been in the business since the 1960s.
Please Sir!, Porkpie, The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, and Man Down are just some of the comedies Derek worked on.
He portrayed Chris Blackwood in Unforgiven in 2022; Freddie Smith in Corrie, and Larry Meadow in The Dumping Ground.
Derek voiced Vervain and Chervil in the iconic yet distressing Watership Down animated film too.
Jack Trueman plays Nathaniel Tensio
Last but not least is relative newcomer Jack Trueman.
In Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, he’ll be on screen as the handyman Nathaniel.
If you fancy digging out his limited previous work, there’s a pair of Strike episodes from last year in which he appears as Oliver.
That series centres around Tom Burke’s private investigator Cormoran Strike, created by JK Rowling for a string of novels, under the nom de plum Robert Galbraith.
Other than that, Jack’s 2022 film Shark Bait is out there for any low-budget horror lovers.
