Susan Wokoma Joins BBC Six-Part Wahala Cast
susan wokoma has joined the cast of Wahala as the begins filming Theresa Ikoko’s new six-part thriller. She plays Ronke in a female-led ensemble built around four Nigerian-British women in their thirties.
The series is produced by Firebird Pictures for iPlayer and One, and it runs as a 6x60 drama. Its adaptation of Nikki May’s debut novel gives the project a built-in literary hook as production starts.
Ronke, Simi and Boo
Adelayo Adedayo plays Simi, Cush Jumbo plays Boo and Wokoma plays Ronke, best friends who have shared every aspect of life for years. Deborah Ayorinde joins them as Isobel, a charismatic and super-wealthy new acquaintance who enters their orbit.
The setup keeps the cast tightly grouped around a single social circle, which is useful for a six-part thriller that has to move fast. A smaller ensemble also means the series can lean on character friction rather than sprawl across too many subplots.
Theresa Ikoko’s drama
Theresa Ikoko said, “I can’t wait to bring Wahala to life with this amazing cast, wonderful directors and brilliantly talented crew.” Susan Wokoma added, “As a long fan of Theresa Ikoko and her exquisite writing, it is a honour to be a part of her powerhouse Wahala team. So excited to bring to life Nikki May’s world alongside three of this country’s most outstanding actresses - let’s go!”
Those comments point to a production that is already leaning on the chemistry of its leads, not a rollout built around a single star turn. For viewers, the most useful detail is that the series is moving from announcement to filming with the cast now set around a story that shifts between present-day London and the women’s childhood homes.
Nikki May’s Wahala
The series follows four Nigerian-British women whose careers, love lives and families collide as dark secrets and darker pasts threaten to shatter their friendships. That tension gives Wahala a cleaner commercial pitch than a generic relationship drama: it is a thriller with a clear ensemble, a literary source and a six-part structure.
With filming underway, the practical next step for viewers is simple — the cast is in place, the adaptation is locked to Nikki May’s novel and the now has a finished production shape to market around iPlayer and One. Wokoma’s presence gives the drama a sharper centre of gravity, and the ensemble around her suggests the series is being built to make the friendships feel as dangerous as the mystery.
