One of 5's Plays For Today

Johnny Vegas is to play a priest in one of the next films in 5’s Play For Today.

The comic –  who briefly trained as a priest before turning to comedy – plays the troubled Father Adam in the ‘darkly comic’ drama The Nine O’Clock Trot.

He stars opposite Kalli Tant, who plays Annie, a recent graduate who has spent six months caring full‑time for her grandfather. 

Isolated, unemployed and broke, Annie is left reeling when he dies — and facing a funeral bill she cannot afford. With no family support and nowhere to turn, she keeps his death a secret, refusing a ‘pauper’s’ funeral she finds unbearable. 

Desperate to give him a proper send‑off, Annie turns to the local parish priest (Vegas).

The broadcaster describes the play, written by Joe McNally, as ‘honest, warm and darkly funny’ as it  explores ‘grief, social care, and the unseen weight of caring - and the extraordinary lengths we go to for those we love’.

It is one of five programmes in the second series of the revived Play For Today format due to air on 5 later this year.

The Other are:

Here are the summaries updated with the stars included:

Village Idiot: In this comedy, Phyllis Logan plays Barbara, who chains herself to her cottage to stop it being demolished for a high-speed rail project, while Max Harwood plays the company liaison officer sent to remove her – who turns out to be her estranged grandson. 

Wild: Daniel Mays, Joel Fry, and Amit Shah play three old friends on an annual wild camping trip in the Scottish Highlands whose camaraderie quickly deteriorates into ego clashes and survival mode after they get lost and supplies run low. 

The Quiet Hour: Archie Panjabi stars as Riya, a nurse battling exhaustion, understaffing, and the fallout from a near-fatal medical error during a gruelling NHS night shift, while Paul Kaye plays Fred, a combative amputee who becomes one of the night's most volatile challenges.

Closing Time Antonio Aakeel plays Mo, a migrant worker quietly nursing culinary dreams while working in his uncle's kebab shop, who has a chance late-night encounter with a lawyer  played by Ellora Torchia.

The Castle: Oliver Nelson, Dylan Hughes, and Matilda Flower play three siblings who transform their suburban home into a fortress after their mother suddenly vanishes, holding their fractured world together through imagination and storytelling.

Commissioning editor Paul Testar said: ‘The response to the first Play For Today films last year was hugely encouraging, and this new line-up builds brilliantly on that success. 

‘We’ve brought together an incredible cast - from some of the UK’s most respected screen talent to exciting new voices, reflecting both the ambition and the diversity of the strand. I couldn’t be more excited to see these stories brought to life.’

Published: 7 May 2026