Crack the code to put your name in Gentleman Jack’s top hat for tickets to BBC Halifax premiere

Fans are in with a chance to attend the Halifax premiere of Gentleman Jack which stars Suranne Jones as Yorkshire trailblazer Anne Lister.

To be one of the first to enter the random draw for tickets fans must solve a mystery code when it appears on the @BBCNorthPR Instagram page at 7am today (Mon) under the hashtag #GentlemanJackIsBack. The code can be cracked using the same key that was used to decipher Anne Lister’s diaries in the 1800s.

Solve it and you can follow the clues to apply for tickets to a red carpet event with the starts of the show ahead of the series on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The exclusive premiere takes place on Tuesday 29 March at Square Chapel in Halifax.

Whether you crack the code or not anyone can put their name in the Gentleman Jack ‘top’ hat for tickets when the draw goes live on the BBC Shows and Tours website on Tuesday (15 March) at 12pm. https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/gentleman-jack-screening-29march22

BAFTA award-winning Suranne Jones (Vigil, Doctor Foster, Save Me) returns as regency landowner Anne Lister for the second series of Gentleman Jack set in Halifax during 1834.

The show is based on the collected diaries of Anne Lister which were part-written in cryptic code and document all aspects of the private and public life of this remarkable woman including her romantic relationship with Ann Walker played by Sophie Rundle (Bodyguard, Peaky Blinders, The Nest).

Series creator, writer and executive producer Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, To Walk Invisible) will be in attendance at the red carpet event alongside Suranne Jones and other cast.

Following the screening of the first episode, guests can hear direct from Sally Wainwright, Suranne Jones and other cast in a Q&A.

Rozina Breen, Head of North for BBC England, says: “The storytelling of the histories of diverse communities lies at the heart of the BBC and it’s rewarding to see a BBC series like this making such a meaningful impact in the region.

“Drama like Gentleman Jack gives Yorkshire deserved global exposure and has a significant impact on tourism and the skills economy too. I’m certain this latest series will continue to with local and regional audiences and beyond.”

Filmed in and around West Yorkshire, series one followed Anne Lister’s life as she inherited her uncle’s fading estate, Shibden Hall in Halifax, which she attempted to restore while beginning a romance with Ann Walker.

Series two picks up just four weeks after series one ended with all eyes on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple.

Gentleman Jack is a Lookout Point production for BBC One, co-produced with HBO. Executive producers are Sally Wainwright and Suranne Jones; Faith Penhale and Will Johnston for Lookout Point, and Ben Irving for BBC One.

The new series has been directed by Edward Hall, Amanda Brotchie and Fergus O’Brien. Phil Collinson is series producer, with Stella Merz as producer. The series was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, and Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Gentleman Jack series one was a hit for BBC One and iPlayer, averaging 6.8 million viewers across its eight-episode run. It won the RTS Drama Series award in 2020 and received BAFTA nominations in the Drama Series category, as well as the Leading Actress category for Suranne Jones’ performance. Internationally the series won the BANFF Rockie Award for Drama Series: English Language.

The ticket ballot will close at 23:59 on Monday 21 March and you can apply for a maximum of two tickets. Tickets will be allocated via a random draw.

For any press enquiries, please contact Nathan Sandhu