A NEW Channel 4 drama starring huge A-list talent has left fans baffled as they slammed its ‘mumbling cast’.
Trespasses, which features The Crown star Gillian Anderson, has been panned by fans on social media, who hit out at the Golden Globe winner’s performance, and also took aim at ‘dodgy’ Irish accents.
The series, which began on Sunday night, split opinion from viewers online, with the cast praised for a ‘mesmerising’ acting performance, while others blasted the ‘terrible’ sound quality – which forced many to add subtitles.
Trespasses, which is based near Belfast during The Troubles in the mid-Seventies, documenting the blossoming romance between Catholic schoolteacher Cushla and Michael, an older Protestant married man.
The Gold actor Tom Cullen and Say Nothing star Lola Petticrew both appear in the series playing Michael and Cushla respectively, while Gillian plays Cushla’s mum Gina Lavery.
The pair’s polar opposite backgrounds bring them together in an illicit romance that “spells all kinds of trouble”, Channel 4 detailed in the series synopsis.
Read more on Gillian Anderson
But while the romantic series boasts a star-studded cast, viewer opinion has been split on social media due to poor sound quality and butchered accents.
One wrote on X: “Accents and authenticity are one thing but when actors mumble and accent is unintelligible, surely it defeats the object.
“Director, actors and team live with the script and know what it means – we, the viewers only get one shot. Just given up on Ch4 Trespasses.”
While one admitted: “At times I can’t understand a word people are saying …. It’s not just the accents, it’s the dodgy sound quality too”.
Audio quality issues meant many viewers admitted they were forced to use subtitles, as one viewer shared they were “totally lost” after failing to make out what the actors were trying to say.
Gillian plays Gina Lavery, Cushla’s mother, and also serves as an executive producer on the show.
While Tom Cullen and Lola Petticrew play Michael and Cushla respectively, with the cast featuring other well known stars including Blue Light’s Martin McCann and Oisin Thompson.
Viewers may have taken issue with the shows sound quality, but the show itself has received a huge amount of praise for its acting.
One viewer described the series as “Channel 4 at its best” as they praised Tom, Lola and Gillian’s acting performances.
Another fan wrote: “God, it’s fantastic. I’m so glad that it lives and breathes like the book.”
The series, based on Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel Trespasses, was adapted into a four-part series for Channel 4.
Critics have been similarly kind to the series, receiving rave reviews from The Guardian, who described it as an “intoxicating, rousing and heartbreaking love story”.
While Digital Spy dubbed the show “breathtaking”, in a stellar review of the four-part offering, stating it delivers “something special”.
Trespasses is available to stream now on the Channel 4 app.
