The Listeners cast from Hollywood star to Line of Duty actor as new BBC drama debuts

The new BBC drama The Listeners covers a mystery low-humming noise that only a certain number of people can hear.

Adapted from Jordan Tannahill's novel, the story follows English teacher Claire (Rebecca Hall) and her student Kyle (Ollie West) who become aware of a humming sound inaudible to others.

Claire's journey to find fellow listeners pulls her away from her family and leads her to a group claiming to hear the same strange sound.

The BBC says The Listeners is a show that "explores the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarised times."

Set to start on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday (November 19), all episodes will also be available to stream on iPlayer. It features well-known actors in its cast, but who appears in the new BBC drama?

Who is in the cast of new BBC series The Listeners?

Rebecca Hall plays Claire

Rebecca Hall stars as Claire, an English teacher whose life's stability with her husband and daughter is disrupted by a mysterious low-frequency hum that only she seems to hear. Torn by the puzzle of the hum's origin and its inaudibility to others, she becomes increasingly agitated.

On her role, Hall remarked: "Claire is under the belief for a long time that she is the only person who can hear The Hum.

"She goes through all the medical tests to find out if there's something wrong with her physically or mentally and ascertains that there isn't. Leaving her in nowhere land and she starts to believe that she is going crazy.

"So, when she comes across Kyle who is having the same experience there is an immediate sense of connection between them."

"For Claire there is a sense of relief, parity that what she is going through is real. However, Kyle is one of her students, which raises a lot of complications."

Rebecca Hall, a renowned actress known for her roles in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige, Frost/Nixon, Iron Man 3 and Godzilla vs Kong, also has TV series credits including Red Riding: 1974, Parade's End and Tales from the Loop.

Ollie West plays Kyle

Kyle, a student in Claire's class, becomes distracted by the same noise his teacher can hear. This leads to an unexpected friendship as they investigate the noise, leading them to a New Age couple, Omar and Jo.

The Listeners marks Ollie West's first significant role following his appearance in the independent film The Sparrow.

Prasanna Puwanarajah plays Paul

Paul, Claire's husband and father to their daughter, shares a strong bond with Claire. However, as Claire attempts to comprehend the low humming sound, their relationship begins to feel the strain.

Discussing his role, Prasanna Puwanarajah remarked: "What was interesting to me about this character is how Paul goes through discovery of how far away two people can be, and how frightening, isolating, and dangerous that is to a relationship, which is quite a lot to go through in about forty to fifty days, twenty years into a relationship."

"It's kind of like a cold immersion."

The British actor, who initially pursued a career in medicine before turning to acting full-time, has appeared in high-profile series such as Line Of Duty and The Crown. He has also been seen in Silk, Doctor Foster, and Payback.

Gayle Rankin plays Jo

Jo, played by Gayle Rankin, is Omar's partner and the co-leader of their group. She is dedicated to assisting Kyle and Claire with the mysterious hum.

On her character, Gayle Rankin shared: "Jo is someone who Claire encounters after she starts to hear The Hum and is introduced to a group of people who are also experiencing this hum.

"Jo is the partner of Omar who is the 'leader' of the group. Jo is presented as a stereotypical yogi - a wellness swan, hurtling very fast under the water and gliding across the top.

"She's quite a mysterious woman, and you do have a lot of questions about her when you first meet her - the circumstances of her life, how she ended up here, where she's come from, and how her relationship with Claire is going to play out."

Viewers might recognise Gayle Rankin from her role as Alys Rivers in House of the Dragon, Netflix's GLOW, Emily Dodson in Perry Mason, as well as from The Greatest Showman and The Climb.

Amr Waked plays Omar

Taking on the role of Omar in The Listeners is portrayed by Amr Waked. Omar is depicted as the charismatic leader of a New Age group for individuals who hear The Hum though it soon becomes apparent that his congregation is more akin to a cult.

Shedding light on his role, Amr Waked remarked: "Omar was a university professor where he taught geoscience focusing on climate and weather."

He added: "He's not a classical type of a person, he's the alternative guy. Some people will call him a pseudoscientist, maybe with prejudices against his ideas.

"I find him to be a lovely man who also refuses the world as it is."

The esteemed Egyptian film and stage actor boasts credits such as Lucy, Geostorm, Wonder Woman 1984, and television series Marco Polo and Ramy.

Full cast of The Listeners

The full cast of The Listeners is as follows:

• Rebecca Hall as Claire
• Ollie West as Kyle
• Prasanna Puwanarajah as Paul
• Amr Waked as Omar
• Gayle Rankin as Jo
• Mia Tharia as Ashley
• Franc Ashman as Cassandra
• Samuel Edward-Cook as Damian
• Karen Henthorn as Emily
• Lucy Sheen as Teresa
• Ian Mercer as Tom
• Scottee as Noam
• Shreya M Patel as Seema
• Kiruna Stamell as Dr Broodthaers