A country is only as strong as its leader – so God help those that are part of this totalitarian rule as The Regime kicks off.

With a cast led by Kate Winslet, this satirical take on the state of government and power sees the powerful actress take centre stage as a Chancellor to an unknown European country.

But with her own neuroses, fears and paranoia behind her steely public demeanour, the arrival of a military man known as The Butcher could have a catastrophic effect on the country at large as he begins to influence her behaviour in increasingly bizarre ways.

Here are the key people that helped bring this story to life…

Played by: Kate Winslet (Titanic, Mare of Easttown)

Elena Vernham is the Chancellor of this European authoritarian regime, although she is riddled with paranoia leading her to live her life in a very specific way. Obsessive and compulsive, she struggles to trust anyone even as the world around her is crumbling. She keeps the body of her dead father in a glass case in the palace basement.

Played by: Matthias Schoenaerts (Django, The Danish Girl)

Herbert Zubak is a disgraced military veteran who is hired by the palace to be the Chancellor’s water diviner. His involvement in a disastrous civilian moment has earned him the nickname ‘The Butcher’. However, he soon proves to have a level of control over Elena, who begins to bend to his will in increasingly bizarre ways as he weaves his way into her very tight inner circle.

Played by: Guillaume Gallienne (The French Dispatch, The King’s Favorite)

The long-suffering husband of Chancellor Elena, who entertains Elena’s quirks and whims because he does truly love her and is blindly loyal to her. He even left his wife and family in Paris to be with her. Nicholas grows suspicious of Herbert’s growing presence in his wife’s life.

Played by: Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie, Black Mirror)

Agnes is the palace house manager with a close working relationship with Elena, and who initially hires Herbert. She has a young son, Oskar, whom Elena dotes on and even notes publicly as her own child. As a result, Agnes is stuck under Elena’s thumb to ensure Oskar is taken care of.

Played by: Danny Webb (Pennyworth, Liar)

Mr Laskin is the head of the country’s security services, who begins to grow weary of Elena’s increasingly neurotic demands. He eventually heads the National Freedom Front in order to restore a better world for the country.

Played by: Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope, Prime Target)

A member of the US Senate and chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She has come to visit Elena for diplomatic purposes, hoping to broker a deal regarding cobalt resources within the country.

Played by: Hugh Grant (Paddington 2, Notting Hill)

The leader of the Opposition and former Chancellor, who lost his position to Elena seven years prior to the events of the series. He has since been kept a prisoner in a cell underneath the palace.

Played by: Pippa Haywood (Green Wing, Bergerac)

The country’s former Minister of Finance, Susan was ousted from government after being falsely accused of an assassination attempt on Elena’s life. She has since been imprisoned.