Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jack Thompson and Nicole Chamoun. (Photo credit: Tony Mott)
Romper Stomper and Safe Harbour breakout star Nicole Chamoun will play an aspiring Iraqi-Australian boxing trainer in SBS drama The Ropes, which started production today in western Sydney.
Joining Chamoun is Israeli actor Igal Naor, who will star as Sami, her world champion father, and Keisha Castle-Hughes, who will play the fighter for whom she secures a debut professional match behind his back. Jack Thompson will star as play Sami’s long-time promoter Strick.
Louis Hunter, Michael Denkha, Tyler De Nawi, Neveen Hanna, Nader Hamden, Priscilla Doueihy, Setareh Naghoni, Claude Jabbour also star in the four-part series, alongside newcomers Bonzana Diab and Otis Dhanji.
The Ropes is the second series from Lingo Pictures to enter production in less than a week – with mini Lambs of God also currently shooting in Sydney for Foxtel.
Shannon Murphy is directing, with Helen Bowden and Courtney Wise producing a script written by Tamara Asmar, Adam Todd, and Ian Meadows. Sue Masters is the EP for SBS and Jason Stephens for Lingo Pictures.
Bowden and Wise said: “SBS has been supporting beautiful, daring drama and we are delighted to be working with them on The Ropes. The world of boxing is passionate and fraught with adversity and creating a female driven story within this world is exciting. We are thrilled by the talented cast attached to portray this, including a fearless gang of women lead by Keisha Castle-Hughes and Nicole Chamoun.”
SBS director of television and online content Marshall Heald said: “This compelling and intense series is distinctly SBS, showcasing the complex and nuanced relationships of a migrant family alongside the physicality and deep-seated culture of misogyny in the sporting world.
“We are thrilled to be creating this stellar drama with the team at Lingo Pictures and an incredibly talented cast with a wealth of experience from all corners of the globe.”
Production investment has come from Screen Australian and Create NSW, and the latter has also funded two female crew attachments for the series.