Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Netflix series casts a variety of stage and screen stars

Writer Neil Gaiman has revealed the cast for the TV series of his hit novel The Sandman.

A cavalcade of stage stars will appear in the piece, including Tom Sturridge (recently nominated for a Tony Award for his appearance in Sea Wall / A Life on Broadway) will play Dream, while WOSAward nominee Gwendoline Christie (A Midsummer Night's Dream) will play Lucifer.

Vivienne Acheampong, who has appeared in the likes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Nassim at the Bush, City Of Glass at the Lyric Hammersmith and HOME Manchester and a plethora of other pieces, will play Lucienne (titled Lucien in the comics).

Stage and screen star Sanjeev Bhaskar will play Cain, while veteran performer Charles Dance will play Roderick Burgess. Other casting includes Asim Chaudry as Abel and Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian.

Gaiman himself has allowed a variety of his work to be brought to the stage, including award winning The Ocean at the End of the Lane (which is set to run in the West End from October) and Coraline, which was presented as an opera at the Barbican.

The Sandman, based on the graphic novel series, is due to premiere on Netflix at some point soon – the original schedule was disrupted by the pandemic. We can't wait to find out who else is involved – as Gaiman himself observes – "seven down, hundreds to go".

It follows Morpheus (Sturridge), the Lord of Dreams, who is captured and then learns things he had never imagined.

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There. A whole set of tweets written just before bed and set to go out when I'm fast asleep. I'm vaguely worried that I've mistimed them, but too late now. Here are the first seven members of the #Sandman cast to be announced officially. Seven down, hundreds to go. pic.twitter.com/DksGLyMkBf