Emmerdale star cast in “really, really serious” new role after Gail’s exit

Former Emmerdale star Rachael Gill-Davis has a meaty, more dramatic role lined up after her recent soap exit.

The star, who provided Emmerdale fans with some comic relief as Gail Loman, will be playing Joan of Arc in George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan. Directed by Kaitlin Howard, the play will run between 16-23 August in Cheltenham and Malvern.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to take on such a great role. It is a lot of pressure as Judi Dench, and people like her, have played the role,” Gill-Davis said of her new gig (via LeedsLive.co.uk).

Gill-Davis said she’s had to keep the news under wraps for a while.

“It was the week after my final scenes [in Emmerdale] aired,” she said about being cast in the play, where she reunited with director Howard.

ITV

Related: Emmerdale airs major update in Sarah’s baby story

“I’ve worked with the director Kaitlin Howard before, who is absolutely fantastic.”

The character of Joan represents a return to Gill-Davis’s more dramatic roles on stage, a stark contrast to Gail on the ITV soap.

“It is a major contrast as well from the comedy that I have been playing. Weirdly, before Emmerdale, I’d been playing a lot of different characters. I played Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. I played quite a few villains,” she said.

ITV

Related: Best streaming services

“It is nice to go back to go to something really, really serious.”

Speaking about leaving the Dales behind last month, Gill-Davis thanked fans, cast and crew after her two-year stint as Gail.

“I’ve grown so much as a person and actor but now it’s time to get back to the industry I LOVE and have missed,” she wrote on Instagram. “Excited for what is next.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

Digital Spy’s first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.

Deals that might interest youShop Sky TV, broadband and mobile dealsStranger Things Hellfire Club Dice Dangle CharmCredit: PandoraShop Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors looksCredit: BBC / Studio LambertRichard Osman: We Solve MurdersCredit: VikingShop PS5 consolesCredit: PlayStationShop Alison Hammond’s outfitsCredit: Mark BourdillonApple TV+ 7-day free trialCredit: Apple TV+Sign up for Disney+Credit: Chuck ZlotnickThe Street of Lies: An Official Coronation Street Interactive NovelCredit: Octopus BooksDeath in Paradise: The Puzzle BookCredit: BBC Books