She is best known among teenagers as one of the leads in the BBC’s children’s spy series MI High, but this year Powley broadened her fanbase with her performance in Polly Stenham’s Tusk Tusk at London’s Royal Court.
Playing a damaged 14-year-old, Powley wowed the critics with the power of her acting, at once hilarious and heartrending. It was, she says, emotionally and physically draining. “With TV you don’t need to think about the process too much, it’s all about instinct,” she says. “But with the play, we spent five weeks discussing the characters and how they would behave.” Powley is now shooting the ITV thriller Murderland, opposite Robbie Coltrane. “I want to do big blockbusters but also work with up-and-coming directors,” says Powley.

Six weeks of principal photography began today on the ITV1 drama, Murderland.

Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter, Cracker) leads the cast as detective Douglas Hain. Written by acclaimed writer David Pirie (Murder Rooms, Woman in White), directed by Catherine Morshead (Ashes to Ashes, Viva Blackpool) produced by  Touchpaper Scotland, part of the RDF Media Group, and commissioned by ITV1, the 3 x 60 min drama will be filmed on location around London.

Coltrane will star alongside Bel Powley (M.I. High) ,Sharon Small (Mistresses, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Lucy Cohu (The Queen’s Sister, Becoming Jane), Amanda Hale (Persuasion), Nicholas Gleaves (Foyle’s War, Robin Hood), David Westhead (Criminal Justice), Andrew Tiernan (Survivors) and David Gyasi (Law & Order).

Murderland is an emotional and passionate thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain, the detective in charge of the investigation and Sally the murder victim.

Still haunted by her Mother’s murder, the adult Carrie cannot move on from the terrible unexplained events that occurred when she was a child and make a new life, until she uncovers the truth.

Murderland is a knife edge thriller of revenge, redemption and rough justice, where three different perspectives eventually piece together the truth. As the investigation unfolds, Carrie’s yearning to discover who murdered her mother becomes obsessive bringing her closer to Hain. In the end Carrie holds the key to the killer, the past may be better laid to rest when those you trust have the most to hide, and chillingly are now the people from whom you may have most to fear.

“Come on troops. Let’s take check: Finnbar, slightly ruffled but still in fighting form. Maggie, could do with a full night’s sleep but otherwise all in order… Stay here. Don’t answer the door.”

Once upon a time in what feels like another country, three children play hide and seek. Fifteen year old Elliott wears a crown, thirteen year old Maggie wraps herself in silk and little Finn draws on the walls. Together they watch a mobile phone intensely, willing it to come to life. Whose call are they waiting for and why are they home alone?

As hilarious as it is heartbreaking, Tusk Tusk, Polly Stenham’s second play, is a tale of family ties as an uncertain future circles.

Director Jeremy Herrin

Designer Robert Innes Hopkins

Lighting Neil Austin

Sound Emma Laxton

Cast includes Bel Powley, Toby Regbo

Tusk Tusk is supported by

Bel Powley, who can be seen in Little Dorrit on 5th November, should be the new Doctor Who!

Wouldn’t she be fantastic. A complete change form everything we have seen before.

Let’s get the campaign started!

BEL POWLEY is currently filming the role of Becky in THE BILL.

Thanks to Helen Flanagan for the tip.

UPDATE: It looks like it is episode 636 ‘Loved and Lost’

Airs on Thursday, October 30 2008 at 20:00 GMT on ITV1

Chris Cooper tells the officers that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Becky, has gone missing.

Later, Stone and Leon are called to an alleyway where they are stunned to find Becky, unconscious and bloodied.

Monday 7 January

The teenage secret agents from M.I. High are back with a new series of highly classified adventures. Daisy, Blane and Rose return to St Hope’s – an ordinary-looking comprehensive school – which houses a big secret. Deep underneath the school is the headquarters of M.I. High – MI9′s division of highly trained teen spies. Under the command of Lenny Bicknall, the spies’ mission is to protect Britain from threats to national security from the evil Grandmaster and his Secret Kriminal Underground League (SKUL). With the risk to the country at an all-time high, the young spies need to use all their training and a host of groovy gadgets to keep the baddies at bay.

In the first episode, the spies catch Britain’s most deadly threat, the Grandmaster, after a thrilling chase, and are the toast of the secret services. But, while accepting an award at MI9, they witness the mysterious disappearance of the US President during a magic act. Daisy is gutted – how could the President have been kidnapped right under their noses?

Daisy is played by Bel Powley, Blane by Moustafa Palazli, Rose by Rachel Petladwala and Lenny by Danny John Jules.