The Dark Lake
PRESS RELEASE
Australian Actress Phoebe Tonkin (Boy Swallows Universe) will star in and executive produce the new Australian TV crime drama series, THE DARK LAKE. Based on the debut novel from award-winning author Sarah Bailey, the series will be produced by the team behind the recent Netflix hit, Boy Swallows Universe, Brouhaha Entertainment.
THE DARK LAKE TV series is based on Australian writer Sarah Bailey’s debut novel of the same name. It is the first book in The Gemma Woodstock Series, which has garnered a devoted fanbase worldwide. It won both the 2018 Davitt Award for Best Crime Debut and the 2018 Ned Kelly award for Best First Crime. Sarah has written two other books in the Gemma Woodstock series, Into the Night set in the dark alleyways of Melbourne city, and Where the Dead Go, based in a small coastal hinterland community. Sarah is currently working on a fourth book in the series.
Following on from the success of Boy Swallows Universe, Brouhaha and Tonkin believe that Sarah Bailey’s THE DARK LAKE has all the right ingredients to create a TV series and a character that audiences will embrace worldwide. Of recently working with Tonkin and casting her in the lead role of THE DARK LAKE, Brouhaha’s Troy Lum says, “We have been waiting for years to find the actress that could play Gemma Woodstock. She is feisty, complex and brilliant and has a loyal fanbase of readers. Phoebe’s performance in Boy Swallows Universe blew us away and we knew we finally had an actress who could do Gemma justice.”
Tonkin is best known for her performances in The Vampire Diaries, Babylon, Safe Harbour and Boy Swallows Universe. Her exceptional portrayal of various complex characters, most notably that of mum and recovering drug-addict Frankie in Boy Swallows Universe, has seen Tonkin garner critical acclaim.
Signing on to play Gemma, Tonkin says, “I’m excited to team up again with Brouhaha‘s Troy Lum and Andrew Mason who brought Boy Swallows Universe to life, to adapt this beloved book series with the help of THE DARK LAKE’S author Sarah Bailey. I had such a wonderful collaborative experience on Boy Swallows Universe, and I’m excited to continue this creative relationship with THE DARK LAKE.”
THE DARK LAKE follows Gemma as she is forced to confront the secrets of her past when assigned to the murder of her high school nemesis in her small and tight-knit hometown.
Through law enforcement, Gemma anchors herself to the dichotomy of right and wrong, in an effort to redeem her own deeply compromised decisions. The series investigates the moral workings of a grief engulfed woman torn between the dedication to her work, the love for her son and the temptation of her indulgences.
Of Bailey’s THE DARK LAKE, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner said, “Sarah Bailey combines the very best elements in this stunning debut thriller–a troubled detective trying to find her way as a female investigator, a small town haunted by secrets both past and present, and a beautiful victim whose unsettling allure appears to be her biggest asset and largest downfall. With clever twists and all-too-human characters, this book will keep you racing toward the end.”
Bailey will work closely with Brouhaha on bringing her debut novel to the screen. The team also includes screen-writer Becca Johnstone whose upcoming credits include the features Addition and Ascent.
Brouhaha Entertainment is a production company based in London and Sydney. It is the alliance of three pioneering independent producers; BAFTA and Academy-nominated producer Gabrielle Tana who has been behind some of the UK’s most successful and highly acclaimed independent films of recent years, including Firebrand, The Dig, Philomena, The Invisible Woman, The White Crow and The Duchess, and Troy Lum and Andrew Mason, who have been involved in iconic cinema in their native Australia and abroad. Their combined filmography includes titles such as The Convert, Lee, Saving Mr Banks, Adoration, The Water Diviner, The Matrix, Dark City and Boy Swallows Universe.
