TEAM EFFORT
Whether period piece or contemporary drama, Sherwood star Joanne Froggatt tells Siobhan Duck: “It’s fun to do an ensemble”
AIT’S FUN TO DO AN ENSEMBLE. I’M USED TO BEING THE LEAD AND HAVING TO BE ON SET ALL THE TIME, SO IT’S NICE TO HAVE THE VARIATION
SMALL town. Two shocking murders. A tonne of quirky suspects hiding long-buried secrets. Sherwood has all the hallmarks of the sort of crime drama that the British do so well – perfectly deployed red herrings, shocking twists, and outrageous plot lines that happen to be plucked from the real world.
Just like, say, a popular multigenerational period drama about the upstairs and downstairs of a country estate, Sherwood needs a solid cast of veteran and freshfaced actors to succeed. That’s why Joanne Froggatt, whose career skyrocketed after playing loyal and clever lady’s maid Anna Bates in Downton Abbey, knew she had to be involved as soon as she read the script.
“It’s fun to do an ensemble,” Froggatt says. “I’m used to being the lead and having to be on set all the time, so it’s nice to have the variation of having that full responsibility on your shoulders but then to be able to share that responsibility with a team of people who you know are incredibly talented, and to know you’re in great company.”
Sherwood features stellar actors who are used to working in big casts, including David Morrissey ( The Walking Dead), Lesley Manville (the next Princess Margaret in The Crown) and Lorraine Ashbourne ( Bridgerton). “It’s exciting knowing that you’re going to do great scenes together because they do great work,” Froggatt adds.
The six-part series is inspired by the 2004 Nottinghamshire murders, Froggatt explains from her car on the way to the set of her next production. “Some elements of the story that viewers will see, [they will react] like,
‘Oh, my goodness, that’s a bit unusual, to say the least’,” she says. “But a lot of those unusual things did really happen. I won’t give away what they are, but the most surprising elements are the things that did happen.”
Another drawcard for Froggatt – whose recent star turns include vengeful teacher Laura in Liar and ethically dubious scientist Eadie in Australian drama The Commons – was playing Sarah, a divisive conservative politician who could be characterised as a villain. Calling Sarah “strongminded” and “not the warmest of people”, Froggatt laughs and suggests, “You wouldn’t want to sit next to her at a dinner party.”
She hastens to add that her performance wasn’t based on any real-life political figures or people she has met. “Well, I can’t tell you that now because that would be insulting,” she jokes. “I just went with what was in the script and in my imagination, really, to build a character around that. I take from the script first and then I do as much research as I feel I need to, and for this it was more research in the history of the miners’ strikes in the UK and in the north of England.”
The community tensions created by the 1980s industrial actions in the region form the backdrop to this series.
“There’s always an extra responsibility when covering any kind of subject matter that’s very sensitive or based on events that really happened, like the miners’ strikes, for instance,” Froggatt says.
“Or when you’re playing a real person, because either the issues or the story has affected people’s lives. So, it’s always a bigger responsibility to have that on your shoulders, but I quite enjoyed that because it makes it more meaningful to me as well.”
SHERWOOD PREMIERES AT 8PM, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 ON BBC FIRST AND STREAMING, BINGE