If you’ve been scrolling through AMC+ or Sundance Now lately, you probably stumbled upon a show that feels like Big Little Lies met a coven in a British suburb. That's the vibe. The cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale carries a lot of weight here because, let's be honest, the "witchy" genre is crowded. To stand out, you need more than just CGI sparks; you need actors who can make a town called Sanctuary feel like a place where magic is as mundane as a property tax hike.
It’s a weirdly grounded show. Based on V.V. James’s novel, it imagines a world where witchcraft isn't a secret—it’s just a licensed profession. But when a local golden boy dies at a party, the town’s tolerance for its resident witch, Sarah Fenn, evaporates faster than a spilled potion.
The casting directors clearly wanted a mix of "prestige TV" gravitas and fresh faces who don't carry the baggage of massive franchises. It works. You’ve got Elaine Cassidy leading the charge, and if you feel like you’ve seen her face in every haunting Irish or British drama for the last twenty years, you’re basically right.
Sarah Fenn: Elaine Cassidy’s Masterclass in Quiet Panic
Elaine Cassidy plays Sarah Fenn. Sarah is the town’s official witch, which sounds cool until you realize she’s basically a glorified pharmacist-slash-therapist for people who secretly resent her. Cassidy is the heart of the cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale. She has this incredible ability to look completely composed while her eyes tell you she’s screaming internally.
You might remember Cassidy from The Others or the cult-favorite slasher series Harper’s Island. More recently, she was in The Wonder alongside Florence Pugh. In Sanctuary, she has to play a mother who is simultaneously trying to protect her daughter and maintain her professional standing in a town that is turning into a lynch mob.
It’s a tough role. If she’s too powerful, there’s no stakes. If she’s too weak, the plot falls apart. Cassidy finds that middle ground. She makes you believe that magic is a craft—something that requires effort and carries a heavy cost. When her friendship with Abigail Whithall starts to rot, Cassidy’s performance shifts from "helpful neighbor" to "survivalist," and it's gripping to watch.
The Friction Between Sarah and Abigail
Amy de Bhrún plays Abigail Whithall. If Sarah is the soul of the show, Abigail is the engine. She’s the grieving mother, the one whose son Diddy dies in the premiere. De Bhrún has this sharp, aristocratic energy that makes her the perfect foil for Sarah’s more bohemian, grounded vibe.
The chemistry between these two is what actually sells the show. They were best friends. Now they're enemies. It’s a classic trope, but de Bhrún plays the grief with such jagged edges that you almost sympathize with her even when she’s doing terrible things. She’s been in Vikings and Line of Duty, so she knows how to handle high-stakes drama without chewing the scenery too much.
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Harper Fenn and the Next Generation
Then we have the kids. Hazel Doupe plays Harper, Sarah’s daughter. Doupe is a powerhouse. If you haven’t seen her in the Irish film Float Like a Butterfly, go find it. She has this raw, unpolished intensity.
In the cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale, Harper is the wild card. She’s inherited her mother's abilities but none of her mother’s patience for the town's hypocrisy. Doupe plays Harper with a chip on her shoulder that feels earned. She’s the one who gets blamed when things go wrong, simply because she exists in the shadow of her mother's magic.
The dynamic between Hazel Doupe and Jordan Floyd (who plays the ill-fated Diddy) is brief but sets the entire plot in motion. Floyd doesn't get much screen time for obvious reasons, but he manages to make Diddy feel like a real person rather than just a plot point. You see why the town loved him, which makes the subsequent witch hunt feel more "real" and less like a cartoon.
The Supporting Players Keeping Sanctuary Real
Valerie O'Connor plays Maggie Knight, the detective tasked with figuring out what actually happened at that party. O'Connor is a veteran of Irish TV—Red Rock, The Fall. She brings a much-needed "normie" perspective to the show. While everyone else is arguing about spells and ancient grudges, she’s just trying to follow the evidence.
Her presence is vital. Without a strong law enforcement character, a show about witches can get a bit too ethereal. O'Connor keeps the stakes tethered to the ground. She’s skeptical but not a caricature of a skeptic.
And we can't forget Stephen Lord as Ted Whithall. Ted is caught in the crossfire of his wife’s grief and the town’s escalating madness. Lord has that "tired dad" energy down to a science, but there’s a lurking darkness there that keeps you questioning his true motives.
Why the Casting Choices Matter for the Story
Most "witch shows" go for the Charmed or American Horror Story aesthetic—lots of leather, dark lipstick, and dramatic chanting. Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale goes the opposite direction. The cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale wears chunky knits and Barbour jackets. They look like they shop at Waitrose.
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This was a deliberate choice by the creators and the casting department. By making the characters look like everyday suburbanites, the "witch-hunt" aspect becomes significantly more terrifying. It reminds you of The Crucible. It’s about how quickly a polite society can turn into a pack of wolves when they’re scared.
The actors have to do a lot of heavy lifting here. They have to sell the idea that magic is just another part of the world, like electricity or the internet. When Sarah Fenn performs a "cleansing," it isn't a huge production. It’s a job.
A Deep Dive into the Acting Style
The performances are surprisingly naturalistic. Elaine Cassidy, in particular, avoids the "mystical" tropes. She doesn't whisper her lines or look off into the distance like she’s seeing ghosts. She talks like a woman who has a mortgage and a teenager who won't listen.
This groundedness is what makes the supernatural elements pop. When the magic does happen, it feels intrusive and dangerous because the rest of the show is so mundane.
Comparisons to the Source Material
Fans of V.V. James’s book generally seem happy with the cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale. While some physical descriptions might differ—which always happens in adaptations—the energy of the characters is spot on.
- Sarah Fenn: In the book, she’s a bit more of an outcast from the start. In the show, Cassidy plays her as someone who thought she was integrated into the community, which makes the betrayal hurt more.
- Abigail: The show gives her a bit more nuance. You see her transition from a grieving friend to a vengeful leader in real-time.
- Harper: The TV version of Harper feels a bit more modern, reflecting current Gen Z anxieties about being "different" in a digital age where everyone is watching.
The Production Context
Filmed mostly in Ireland (standing in for the fictional English town of Sanctuary), the show benefits from that grey, moody, North Atlantic light. It fits the cast’s performances perfectly. There’s a certain dampness to the setting that mirrors the "soaked-in" secrets of the characters.
The series was produced by Monumental Television, the same folks behind Harlots and Ghosts. They have a track record of taking period or genre pieces and giving them a contemporary, character-driven edge. You can see that DNA here. They didn't hire "stars"; they hired "actors." There’s a big difference.
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What to Watch If You Liked This Cast
If you found yourself impressed by the cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale, you should definitely check out these projects:
- The Wonder (Netflix): For more of Elaine Cassidy’s incredible range. It’s a period piece, but it deals with similar themes of belief, trauma, and community pressure.
- Float Like a Butterfly: To see Hazel Doupe at her absolute best. She plays a young Irish Traveller girl who idolizes Muhammad Ali. It’s a fierce performance.
- Vikings: If you want to see Amy de Bhrún in a completely different, much more violent setting.
Final Take on the Sanctuary Ensemble
The cast of Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale is the primary reason the show works. Without these specific actors, it could have easily devolved into a generic YA supernatural drama. Instead, it feels like a biting social commentary wrapped in a murder mystery.
They managed to capture that specific "small-town dread" where everyone knows your business but nobody knows your truth.
Next Steps for Fans of the Show
If you're looking to get the most out of your Sanctuary experience, here is what you should do next:
- Read the book by V.V. James. It provides a much deeper look into the "geopolitics" of magic in this world, which the show touches on but doesn't fully explore.
- Re-watch the first episode after finishing the series. Pay close attention to Abigail and Sarah's body language in the opening scenes. Knowing where they end up makes those early interactions feel completely different.
- Check out the "Making Of" clips on AMC+. They offer some cool insights into how they filmed the more subtle magical effects and how the actors prepared for the more "ritualistic" scenes.
The show is a reminder that the scariest thing in a town full of witches isn't the magic—it's the people. The cast nails that tension, making Sanctuary a standout in a very crowded genre.