In 1763 London, women's opportunities for economic advancement are either through marriage or sex work. The city's brothels are run by canny and determined businesswomen, such as Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton) and Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville), but there is a new morality on the rise. Religious evangelists demand the closure of brothels, and police are happy to launch brutal raids.
The show revolves around Wells' determination to improve her life and the lives of those in her "family" by moving her brothel to Greek Street in Soho to serve a wealthier clientele in Georgian society. Her move to Greek Street puts her into direct conflict with a rival madame, Lydia Quigley, for whom she had previously worked. Quigley operates an elite brothel in Golden Square that serves rich, influential people.
Samantha Morton as Margaret Wells the intelligent and strategic madam of an up-and-coming brothel
Lesley Manville as Lydia Quigley the ruthless madam of a posh brothel with clients from the judiciary, nobility, and upper echelons of Georgian society
Jessica Brown Findlay as Charlotte Wells the eldest daughter of Margaret Wells and a witty courtesan
Dorothy Atkinson as Florence Scanwell a religious zealot
Pippa Bennett-Warner as Harriet Lennox a former slave of Nathanial Lennox (a former lover of Margaret Wells)
Kate Fleetwood as Nancy Birch a longtime friend and neighbour of Margaret Wells, whose sex work specialty as bondage and domination
Holli Dempsey as Emily Lacey an impulsive sex worker
Douggie McMeekin as Charles Quigley the inept son and aide of Lydia Quigley
Eloise Smyth as Lucy Wells the youngest and favoured daughter of Margaret Wells, and a reluctant sex worker
Edward Hogg as Thomas Haxby the estate manager of the house where Sir George Howard has Charlotte Wells live (season 1)
Danny Sapani as William North the loving partner and common law husband of Margaret Wells, and a father figure to Charlotte and Lucy
Richard McCabe as Justice Cunliffe a judge in the employ of the Spartans, a shady society of elite gentlemen pursuing pleasure, rape and murder (season 1)
Hugh Skinner as Sir George Howard an aspiring Member of Parliament
Liv Tyler as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam (season 2 - 3)
Sebastian Armesto as Justice Hunt
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Harcourt Fitzwilliam Marquess of Blayne, the Archon of the Spartans (season 2-3)
Francesca Mills as Cherry Dorrington a sex worker with dwarfism (series 2-3)
Rosalind Eleazar as Violet Cross a Black sex worker and adept thief
Daisy Head as Kate Quigley
Bronwyn James as Fanny Lambert a full-figured and good natured sex worker for Margaret Wells
Rory Fleck Byrne as Daniel Marney (series 1)
Jordon Stevens as Amelia Scanwell the daughter of Florence Scanwell
Anna Calder-Marshall as Mrs. May a retired bawd, once the mistress of Lydia Quigley's late father
Ellie Heydon as Anne Pettifer one of Lydia Quigley's girls
Jordan A. Nash as Jacob Wells North the young son of Margaret Wells and William North
Josef Altin as Prince Rasselas a molly boy
Alexa Davies as Betsey Fletcher a sex worker
Poppy Corby-Tuech as Marie-Louise D'Aubigne a French-speaking sex worker in Lydia Quigley's house
Steven Robertson as Robert Oswald
Tim McInnerny as Lord Repton (series 1)
Fenella Woolgar as Lady Repton (series 1)
Ben Lambert as Lord Fallon an aristocrat
Gerard Monaco as Constable Armitage
Lottie Tolhurst as Kitty Carter a sex worker for Margaret Wells
Timothy Innes as Benjamin Lennox the eldest child from Nathaniel's former marriage
Angela Griffin as Elizabeth Harvey (Series 3)
Ziggy Heath as Sam Holland
Hannah Dodd as Sophia Fitzwilliam Lady Isabella's daughter
Aidan Cheng as Fredo Harvey (Series 3)
Lex Shrapnel as Lord James Croft (Season 3)
Sean Hart as Sir Christopher Rutledge
Jack Greenlees as Justice Stuart Knox new Justice in town
Alfie Allen as Isaac Pincher (Series 3)
Nicola Coughlan as Hannah Dalton
Amy Dawson as Mary Cooper (series 1)
Eleanor Yates as Lady Caroline Howard the wealthy wife of Sir George Howard
Tom Fisher as Dr. Swinton (Series 3)
Stephen Beckett as Mr. Lynch
Michael Simkins as Justice Poulson
Ash Hunter as Hal Pincher
Briony Scarlett as Rani Balakrishnan
Sheila Atim as Limehouse Nell
Nicholas Burns as Lord Leadsom
Eric Kofi-Abrefa as Noah Webster
Luke Hornsby as Ned Lovell
Jack Staddon as Lord Lidington
Alex Sawyer as Jack Lively
Emily Forbes as Sukey Atkinson
Shelby-Lynn Harrington as Baby Kitty
Kirsty J. Curtis as Rosamund Sugarcunt
Jojo Macari as Prince Henry
Gordon Kennedy as Arthur Chadwick
Isis Hainsworth as Abigail Warren
Anna Wilson-Jones as Lady Leadsom
Reuben Kotey as Joseph Lennox
Alannah Thomas as Maggie Lennox
Oscar Courtnell as Baby Blayne
Isabelle Courtnell as Baby Blayne
Gerald Kyd as Salabat Ali Khan
Richard Durden as Lord Dodds
Pierro Niel-Mee as Edmund Turner
Roy Martin Thorn as Constable
Matt Truman as Lord Leadsom Friend
Con O'Neill as Nathaniel Lennox
Antony Somers as Nuttal
Nigel Betts as Mr. Raab
Morgan Watkins as Mr. Osborne
Tom Christian as John Kelly
Matthew Stathers as Press Ganger
Hannah Traylen as Lennox Maid
Jonathon Michaels as The Butcher
Arthur Wilde as Bedlam Orderly
David Bromley as Reverend Bottomley
Richard Leeming as Young Toff
Patrick Warner as Sir Timothy Blunden
Adam Leese as Taylor
Steve Paget as Creditor
Andrew Bone as Constable
Matthew Earley as Mr Gibbon
Alex Jordan as Jem Curran
Megan Parkinson as Elizabeth
Tom Bell as Mr. Bradley
Nell Hewetson as Joanna Davy
Jason Cheater as Bill Lobcock
Dan Connolly as Drunken Toff
Phil Cheadle as Surgeon Clerk
Darren Benedict as Drunken Toff
Jack Hawkins as Mr. Bancroft
Paul Bigley as Chief Constable
Charlie Buirski as Finn
Connor Swindells as Mostyn
Andrew Brooke as Mr. Wade
Grace Dunkerley as Flower Seller
Ricky Champ as Hay
Ian Drysdale as Prison Lag
Alicia Stark as Young Harlot 1
Mark Tandy as Dr. Furrow
Timothy Clifford Hill as Opera Singer
Samantha Seivwright as Young Harlot 2
Caitlin Innes Edwards as Hannah Blakefield
Stuart McQuarrie as Doctor
Fern Deacon as Jenny
Lisa Diveney as Lady Rutledge
Alex Blake as Mr. Cholmondeley
James Lailey as Mr. Byrne
Joshua Adam-Harris as Brothel Goer
Marie Hamm as Noblewoman
The average duration of each episode is 44 - 50 minutes. Country of origin: United Kingdom and United States. Original language: English.
