Lola Petticrew is quickly winning over viewers—and breaking more than a few hearts—with their magnetic performance as Cushla Lavery in Channel 4’s gripping drama Trespasses. While the series has sparked widespread acclaim, this is far from Lola’s first time portraying a character shaped by the Troubles. Their earlier work includes a major role in one of the most highly praised dramatizations of Northern Ireland’s conflict in recent years.

Trespasses, adapted from Louise Kennedy’s bestselling novel, is a powerful, atmospheric four-part series set in 1975 Belfast. The story centres on a forbidden romance between Catholic schoolteacher Cushla and Protestant barrister Michael Agnew, unfolding against a tense landscape of suspicion, sectarian division and simmering violence. Although the plot is fictional, critics note that its emotional core reflects a very real chapter of Northern Ireland’s past—a period defined from the late 1960s to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement by unrest, loss and deeply entrenched social divides (BBC, The Guardian).

Before stepping into the role of Cushla, Lola had already taken on another significant project about the Troubles. That production—Say Nothing—has earned international acclaim and remains one of the most ambitious dramatic depictions of the era.

Why You Should Watch Say Nothing on Disney+

Prior to Channel 4’s adaptation of Trespasses, Lola starred in the critically lauded nine-part series Say Nothing, an original drama described as “a gripping story of murder and memory spanning four tumultuous decades during the Troubles” (Variety).

Beginning in 1971, the series follows the life of Dolours Price, played by Lola, a young Catholic woman raised in a strictly segregated society. In her world, joining the IRA is considered a noble act—“the noblest thing a person could do,” as the character reflects. Dolours and her sister Marian Price longed to take an active role in the conflict, determined to “do what the boys were doing.” In one of the real Dolours’s most remembered declarations, she said: “My whole family has suffered. I would die for a united Ireland.”

The cast of Say Nothing is nothing short of exceptional. Alongside Lola Petticrew are Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, and Seamus O’Hara. Martin McCann—who also appears in Trespasses—plays Wee Pat McClure. Maxine Peake portrays the older Dolours Price, supported by standout performances from Rory Kinnear, Damien Molony, Ian McElhinney, Frank Blake and Mirren Mack. Critics praised the ensemble for delivering some of the strongest dramatic work of the year (Radio Times, Deadline).

Is Say Nothing Based on a True Story?

Yes. Like Trespasses, Say Nothing is also based on a book—in this case, Patrick Radden Keefe’s award-winning nonfiction bestseller Say Nothing (New York Times). The series examines the disappearance of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten who was abducted in 1972 and murdered by the Provisional IRA. Though rumours circulated that McConville was an informant, no reliable evidence ever substantiated those claims (Irish Times).

Dolours Price herself was a real and highly controversial figure in Irish republicanism. As one of the first female volunteers to hold full membership in the Provisional IRA, she participated in several major operations, including the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London, which injured more than 200 people. She was later convicted, sentenced to life imprisonment, and became known for her 205-day hunger strike.

Dolours married Irish actor Stephen Rea in 1983, and the couple had two sons before their separation. She died in 2013 after consuming a combination of prescribed medications.

Her life story has not only been told in Keefe’s book and the Disney+ series but also in the 2019 documentary I, Dolours, which further deepens understanding of her motivations and struggles (The Guardian).

Reviews of Say Nothing

Critics overwhelmingly praised the series:

• Decider called it “FX’s latest must-watch masterpiece.”

• Collider awarded it a rare 10/10 rating.

• The Telegraph gave the drama 5/5, calling it “superb” and “unflinchingly honest.”

• Vanity Fair described it as “revolutionary,”

• IndieWire labelled it “powerful,”

• Esquire called it “gripping,”

• Vulture deemed it “epic.”

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wrote:
“Say Nothing could so easily be absolute chaos… but it has such a firm grasp of its characters—and of the history against which they unfold—that you are never confused, only gripped throughout.”

The series earned Lola Petticrew the Irish Film & Television Award for Best Lead Actress – Drama, and received nominations for a Primetime Emmy and several BAFTA TV Awards. It currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Who Is Lola Petticrew? Their Film & TV Career So Far

Born in Belfast, Lola Petticrew, 29, identifies as queer and non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They’ve been appearing on screen since 2017, beginning their career as a teenager. Early credits include roles in Next of Kin, Come Home, and the comedy series My Left Nut. They later delivered compelling performances in Three Families and portrayed Jane Seymour in Anne Boleyn.

Between 2021 and 2022, Lola reached new prominence as Izzy Brannick in Jed Mercurio’s thriller Bloodlands, starring opposite James Nesbitt. Say Nothing and Trespasses followed soon after, firmly establishing them as one of Northern Ireland’s most exciting rising talents (Irish Times).

Their next role will be in Furious, a psychological thriller series inspired by the 1987 film Black Widow. Lola plays a serial killer on the run while being pursued by a determined FBI agent and a seasoned investigator.

Lola Petticrew on the Troubles and Trespasses

Like Cushla in Trespasses, Lola grew up Catholic in Northern Ireland. But, as they explained, their own understanding of the Troubles was shaped differently from the narrative explored in the show. Instead of focusing solely on politics, Trespasses prioritises intimate human experiences—quiet acts of love, rebellion and resistance that often go unrecorded in history books.

Speaking to The Independent (The Independent), Lola noted:
“It’s such recent history, and we’re only now picking apart the threads and finding all these angles to tell that story.”

Although they were born after the ceasefire, Lola acknowledged that the conflict still deeply influences everyday life:
“It permeates every part of my life and every part of my being. I still don’t think there is enough talk about intergenerational trauma after the conflict: more people died post-ceasefire by suicide than died during the entire war.”

Their candid reflections highlight why Trespasses and Say Nothing resonate so strongly with audiences—they show not only what happened, but how it continues to shape identity, memory and relationships in Northern Ireland today.