You know that feeling when a show just sticks in your brain? It’s usually not because of a fancy camera angle or a massive budget. It’s the faces. When people talk about the cast of The Runaway, they usually mean the 2010 British miniseries based on Martina Cole's gritty novel. It was dark. It was dirty. It felt like a punch to the gut.
Jack O'Connell. That’s the name everyone remembers first.
Before he was an international star, he was Ewan Brodie. He brought this weird, flickering energy to the screen where you didn't know if he was going to kiss someone or hit them. Honestly, that’s why the show worked. If you haven't seen it in a while, or if you're just diving into the Martina Cole cinematic universe, you've gotta understand that this wasn't your typical glossy TV drama. It was a 1960s and 70s period piece that felt more like a documentary of the underworld.
The Power Players: Jack O'Connell and Joanna Vanderham
Jack O'Connell is basically the king of playing "troubled young men." In The Runaway, he plays Ewan, a boy who grows up in a world that basically wants him dead or in jail. O'Connell has this way of looking at a camera that makes you feel like he's actually lived through a decade of street fights. After this, he went on to do massive things—Unbroken, Skins, SAS Rogue Heroes. But here? He was raw.
Then you have Joanna Vanderham as Cathy Connor.
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This was her breakout. She was a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama when she got the part. Imagine that. One day you’re in class, the next you’re the lead in a Sky1 flagship drama. Cathy’s journey is arguably harder than Ewan’s. She starts as this innocent kid and ends up navigating the sex work industry and the high-society glamour of London’s nightlife. Vanderham didn't play her as a victim. She played her as a survivor. That distinction is why people are still searching for the cast of The Runaway over a decade later. They weren't tropes.
The Supporting Heavyweights
You can't talk about this show without mentioning Alan Cumming. Seriously. He plays Desrae, a glamorous, world-weary drag queen who becomes Cathy's protector and unlikely mentor. It’s a performance that could have easily become a caricature in 2010, but Cumming brings so much soul to it. He’s the heart of the show.
Then there’s Burn Gorman.
If you need someone to play a character who makes your skin crawl, you call Burn. He plays Richard Gates. He’s menacing without even trying. Along with Keith Allen (who plays Danny Dixon), these veteran actors gave the younger leads a terrifying world to react to. It’s that contrast—the youthful desperation of O'Connell and Vanderham against the cynical, entrenched evil of the older characters—that creates the friction.
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Why This Specific Cast Worked
Most crime dramas fail because the actors look too "Hollywood." They have perfect teeth and skin that’s never seen a day of hard labor. The cast of The Runaway looked like they belonged in the East End.
- Jack O'Connell (Ewan): Brought the grit.
- Joanna Vanderham (Cathy): Provided the emotional anchor.
- Alan Cumming (Desrae): Added the necessary humanity and "fabulousness" in a bleak setting.
- Burn Gorman (Richard): Served as the primary source of tension.
The chemistry between O'Connell and Vanderham was the glue. If you didn't believe they loved each other, the whole "star-crossed lovers" thing would have fallen apart in the first hour. Instead, you're rooting for two people who are objectively making terrible life choices. That’s good writing, sure, but it’s better acting.
The Martina Cole Effect
Martina Cole writes books that are visceral. Adapting that for TV is a nightmare because you risk losing the internal monologue of the characters. The cast had to do a lot of heavy lifting with their eyes. There’s a scene where Cathy is first entering the Soho world—Vanderham plays it with this mix of terror and "I'm going to own this place." It’s subtle.
People often confuse this show with other "runaway" titled projects. There’s the 2017 Marvel show Runaways, which is a totally different vibe—teenagers with superpowers. Then there’s the 1950s film. But the 2010 Sky1 series remains a cult classic because it didn't blink. It showed the 60s not as a time of peace and love, but as a time of poverty, violence, and strict social hierarchies.
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What Happened to the Cast?
It’s actually wild to see where they ended up.
- Jack O'Connell: He’s a legitimate A-lister now. He worked with Angelina Jolie. He’s done big-budget biopics. But you can still see the DNA of Ewan Brodie in his later roles. He keeps that edge.
- Joanna Vanderham: She became a staple of British period drama. The Paradise, Banished, Warrior. She’s got this timeless look that casting directors clearly love.
- Alan Cumming: He’s a legend. Broadway, The Good Wife, hosting The Traitors. He’s everywhere. His role as Desrae remains one of his most underrated performances.
Sometimes, a cast just aligns perfectly for a specific moment in time. In 2010, British TV was moving away from the "police procedural of the week" and toward these gritty, novelistic miniseries. The Runaway paved the way for shows like Peaky Blinders. It proved that audiences wanted stories that were messy.
Assessing the Legacy
Does it hold up? Mostly. Some of the pacing in the middle episodes feels a bit "TV-budget 2010," but the performances are bulletproof. If you're looking into the cast of The Runaway because you're a fan of O'Connell, it's essential viewing. It’s the bridge between his "troubled kid" roles in Skins and his "serious actor" roles in film.
The show also handled topics that were pretty taboo for a mainstream crime thriller at the time. The treatment of Desrae and the LGBTQ+ community in the 70s wasn't glossed over. It was portrayed as dangerous and isolating. The cast treated those moments with a lot of respect.
Practical Steps for Fans
If you want to dive deeper into this specific era of British drama or the work of this cast, here’s how to do it without wasting time:
- Watch 'Starred Up' (2013): If O'Connell's performance in The Runaway fascinated you, this is his best work. It’s a brutal prison drama that shows his full range.
- Read the Source Material: Martina Cole’s The Runaway gives way more backstory on the Dixon family and the specific politics of the London underworld that the show had to trim for time.
- Track Joanna Vanderham in 'The Paradise': To see the absolute opposite of her role as Cathy, watch her in this BBC costume drama. It shows her incredible range as an actress.
- Check Streaming Rights: Depending on your region, the show often pops up on BritBox or Sky's on-demand services. It’s frequently rotated, so keep an eye out.
The reality of the industry is that shows like this often get buried under the sheer volume of new content. But the cast of The Runaway ensures this one stays in the conversation. It was a launching pad for some, a career-high for others, and a grimly realistic look at a side of London that most history books prefer to ignore. It’s worth the watch just to see these actors before they were "famous-famous," playing characters who had absolutely nothing to lose.