Billie turns sleuth in first lead role

Billie Piper has landed her first lead role, playing a feisty Victorian heroine in a new BBC drama.

The Doctor Who actress will star in the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart stories.

Sally is a young girl in Victorian London who turns sleuth to solve the mystery behind her father’s death.

The first novel in Pullman’s trilogy, The Ruby In The Smoke, starts filming in May for BBC1.

It will be followed by the second novel, The Shadow In The North.

The BBC said the drama would appeal to children and adults alike.

Piper, 23, has become one of the BBC’s brightest stars since appearing in an adaptation of The Canterbury Tales in 2003.

Last year she played Hero in a modern day retelling of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Her role as Doctor Who’s sidekick Rose Tyler saw her named most popular actress at the National Television Awards.

BBC drama boss Laura Mackie said: “Billie Piper is an extremely versatile actress whose talent has deservedly been recognised by critics and audiences alike.

“Following on from her success as the Doctor’s fearless companion Rose Tyler in Doctor Who and the endearing Hero in Much Ado, Billie is the perfect choice for bringing to life this engaging and fearless heroine.”

The Ruby In The Smoke will be adapted by Adrian Hodges, the writer behind Rome and the recent period drama about Charles II.