Filming Begins on 'Murder Before Evensong' as Full Cast Confirmed

Filming is officially underway on the new Acorn TV and Channel 5 co-production, Murder Before Evensong. Based on the best-selling series of novels by British author and "celebrity vicar" the Reverend Richard Coles, the series is clearly meant to capitalize on the runaway success of similar mysteries featuring crime-solving religious types — see also: Grantchester, Father Brown, and the Sister Boniface Mysteries — but with what appears to be a more overt cozy murder sort of vibe. 

Former Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis — known to many Anglophiles as Helen's ex from All Creatures Great and Small — is donning a cassock to play Canon Daniel Clement in this adaptation of the first novel in the (unsurprisingly titled) Canon Clement Mysteries. Don't worry, should this series prove to be a success, there are already two sequels waiting in the wings: A Death in the Parish and Murder at the Monastery. 

Amanda Redman (The Good Karma Hospital) has been tapped to star as Daniel's mother, Audrey, with whom he lives. Other notable cast members include Amit Shah (Mr Bates vs The Post Office) as DS Neil Vanloo, Adam James (The Day of the Jackal) as Bernard De Floures, Meghan Treadway (Trying) as Honor De Floures, Marion Bailey (The Crown) as Kath, Amanda Hadingue (Kaos) as Dora, Tamzin Outhwait (The Tower), Francis Magee (The Tourist) as Edgy, Nina Toussaint-White (Showtrial) as Jane Thwaite, and newcomer Alexander Delamain as Alex De Floures.

Here’ssometime the series synopsis. 

Daniel shares Champton rectory with his widowed mother – opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey  – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda. When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village. And then a body is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. As the police move in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together… and catch a killer.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be throwing on the old dog collar and diving into the world of Champton so charmingly created by Rev. Richard Coles,” Lewis said in a statement when the series was first announced. “I’ve been an admirer of his work for some time and love the characters and stories he’s written. It’s an honor to work with this creative team and have the opportunity to bring the character of Canon Clement to life for fans of the book and new viewers alike.”

The six-episode series is adapted by Nick Hicks-Beach (DCI Banks)  and directed by David Moore (Fool Me Once). Executive producers include the Reverend Coles and Radford Neville for The Lighthouse, Catherine Mackin and Don Klees for Acorn TV/Acorn Media Enterprises, and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5.

There’s no word yet on when we can expect to see the series for ourselves, but it will likely air on Acorn TV and Channel 5 at some point in late 2025 or early 2026.