Sing? I’d rather kill, laughs Joanne

JOANNE FROGGATT has gone from loveable Downton Abbey maid Anna . . . to a serial killer.

Dark Angel is ITV’s new two-part drama based on the hard-to-believe true story of Victorian poisoner, Mary Ann Cotton.

She poisoned her husband as well as slaying her mum and several of her children in a quite extraordinary killing spree that went on for years in County Durham.

“Although Dark Angel is a period drama, Mary Ann could not be more different from Anna Bates,” says Joanne.

“This is totally different to Downton. It’s a different time period, too.”

Although writer Gwyneth Hughes had delved deeply into the past, Joanne revealed she did some digging of her own.

“Mary Ann is such a complex character, and to make sense of that I felt I needed to do some of my own research.

“I read a book about her then I did some research on female serial killers in general. To play somebody you have to make sense of what they’re doing in their head.”

Joanne admits a couple of the raunchier moments were made easier by the fact that her screen lover was played by Jonas Armstrong, whom she knew from Robin Hood.

“We got on, so that was fine. Jonas and I have some intimate scenes together and it’s less awkward if you already know someone.”

But one thing Joanne found more worrying was the fact that she had to sing.

“Singing is the worst thing ever,” she laughs. I literally want to cry if I have to sing in public. I have a real thing about it. “I had two singing lessons just to manage to do this little ditty that Mary Ann can barely sing in tune.

“I was terrified, but I think it actually turned out all right.” n Dark Angel, ITV, Monday, 9pm.