The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
DIGGING INTO PAST WITH COMPELLING ‘WHYDUNNIT’
As James Graham’s eagerly anticipated series Sherwood hits our screens, Danielle de Wolfe finds out more from the writer and cast.
Screenwriter James Graham is no stranger to tackling topics of contention. Whether it’s political debate as part of his Channel 4 drama Brexit: The Uncivil War, royal upheaval in The Crown or financial deception in the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-inspired ITV drama Quiz, his immersive, thoughtprovoking material has catapulted the screenwriter into the spotlight.
Graham’s latest project, Sherwood, is no exception. This time though, he’s chosen to tackle a subject matter that hits a little closer to home. Set in the present day and inspired by real-life events, the six-part original series takes place in the Nottinghamshire mining village of the same name – the environment in which Graham himself was raised.
Describing it as a chance to “invest in the characters and voices” he grew up with, the Emmy-nominated writer hopes the fictionalised tale will educate and inform viewers through an “entertaining crime thriller”. Directorial duties are shared between Bafta award-winner Lewis Arnold (Cleaning Up, Time) and Bafta-nominee Ben Williams (Humans, War of the Worlds).
A gripping tale of post-Brexit Britain, Sherwood is 21st-Century life as seen through the eyes of communities whose voices have long fallen on deaf ears.
“It’s an opportunity to shine an artistic spotlight on these red-wall towns which have suddenly penetrated our national psyche so much, and are once again being used as a political weapon in this ideological culture war we’re apparently all meant to be fighting,” says Graham defiantly. “And then, of course, it is inspired by several real life stories; a double killing and a manhunt – one of the largest manhunts in British history.”
Boasting an A-list cast, Sherwood stars a host of recognisable names, including Academy Award nominee and The Crown star Lesley Manville as local resident Julie Jackson. Estranged from her sister Cathy, played by Whitechapel star Claire Rushbrook, it’s a relationship that reflects the wider divisions of a community, tracing back to the miners’ strike of 1984. With Julie’s stubbornness juxtaposed by the even temperament of her sister Cathy, the pair hold opposing views when it comes to the historic strikes. It’s a subject Rushbrook is all too aware of, describing Sherwood as a project that “covers topics you usually approach with trepidation”.
Joined by The Walking Dead’s David Morrissey as Detective Chief Superintendent Ian St Clair – a renowned officer who has made his way up the ranks, his character is forced to work alongside Detective Inspector Kevin Salisbury, played by Cold Feet’s Robert Glenister. Former rivals, the two officers are now forced together, charged with solving the murders in question.
“It was important for me to play this policeman as someone who has the weight of the whole force on him,” says Morrissey, 57. “He wasn’t a representative of the whole force. He was very much an individual in this specific circumstance.”
Describing Graham’s “emotional intelligence” when it came to crafting the characters, Manville says her own working class upbringing allowed a level of empathy when it came to her character Julie.
“I grew up with a sense of community – not quite as politically fired as this community, but I kind of get Julie. She’s been a very passionate supporter of the striking miners. Her husband was a striking miner. And as you see in her flashbacks, she’s tough – and that kind of stoicism has stayed with her.”
The working-class tale depicts a village that’s yet to recover from historic divisions created by the miners’ strike three decades earlier. It’s an illustration of how historic events continue to permeate modern society.
With stark fractures already present within the small community, any remaining threads of comradeship are severed when two killings rock the area. The first victim is Julie’s husband, Gary – a vocal former miner who stood on the picket line in ’84. After his body is found metres from their home, suspicion quickly engulfs the community, and one of Britain’s largest manhunts gets under way.
Trawling the heart of Sherwood Forest it’s a tale that quickly develops into a “spy-cop” drama according to star Glenister, 62, whose son Tom plays a younger version of his character. “The spy-cop theme” remains – “there are still people writing about their experiences of having been spied upon” says the actor. People “might anticipate a whodunnit”, when what they actually get is a “whydunnit”.
Sherwood starts on BBC One on Monday, June 13