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Kuwaiti/Cameroonian actress Colette Dalal Tchantcho, who featured in cult TV hit The Witcher, stars in new television series Domina, a historical drama about the power struggles of ancient Rome as seen from the perspective of the women.
She plays Antigone, the best friend, ex-slave and closest ally of Livia Drusilla (played by Kasia Smutniak, from Perfect Strangers), whose story arc forms the basis of the eight-part series which was filmed at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios.
Tchantcho, who was trained at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, discovered her love of acting as a youngster at The British School in Kuwait when drama was introduced into the school curriculum. She featured in UK productions such as TV series Doctors and Rachel Maclean’s film Make Me Up, and has also returned to Kuwait to run acting workshops at ART SPACE in Galleria 2000.
Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black) plays Claudia Octavia, while Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet) makes an appearance playing Balbina, an early enemy. The cast also includes Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as Livius, Livia’s father; Matthew McNulty (Misfits) as the future emperor Gaius; Christine Bottomley (The End of the F***ing World) as Scribonia, and Enzo Cilenti (Free Fire) as Tiberius Claudius Nero.
Australian filmmaker Claire McCarthy (Ophelia, The Luminaries) is lead director, with the series created and written by Simon Burke (Zen, Fortitude). According to the official synopsis: "The story follows Livia’s journey from a naïve young girl whose world crumbles in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, to Rome’s most powerful and influential Empress, driven by a deep desire to avenge her father and secure power for her sons.
"Livia and her peers navigate their way through a brutal society by means of strategy, conspiracy, seduction and murder. She will soon discover that seizing power is not enough: you must be able to keep it when everyone else wants it."
Nicola Maccanico, Executive Vice President Programming Sky Italia, said during production: “Domina is an international production and we are very proud of its strong Italian roots. It is a great epic drama that brings to life Ancient Rome again but from a different perspective – that of the women – and reshapes our view of them. They are the masters of their fate and fiercely pursue their ambitions and ultimately, the conquest of power.”
Domina, which was produced by Fifty Pathos and Sky Studios, is due to screen in May 2021. It will air exclusively in all Sky territories in Italy, the UK, Ireland and Germany. NBC Universal Global Distribution will handle the international rights outside those territories.
