Life derailed by love, lies
Mrs Biggs opens with Charmian Powell as an 18-year-old, meeting a 28- year-old Ronald Biggs on a train in October, 1957.
Pope adds: “I’m sure there are a lot of women who could identify with the young Charmian as this free spirit from an oppressive family background, who meets this charming guy on a train and falls in love with him.”
This five-part series looks at their marriage, her shock at learning about his involvement in the heist, his dramatic escape from prison, their new life in Australia and the death of their 10-yearold son to the moment when she decided to start over without Ronnie.
In preparation for this role, Smith caught up with the real Mrs Biggs, who shared her life in vivid detail.
The actress, who has enjoyed a fantastic year, role-wise, with Cilla, The Widower and Black Work, says: “I remember bawling my eyes out just reading the script – before I even auditioned. It’s such a moving story.
“I had heard about Ronnie Biggs and thought Charmian would be a gangster’s moll type character. Then I read the script and realised she wasn’t. I was fascinated by how Charmian and Ron were world’s apart and met – ironically – on a train and fell madly in love.
“I’m such a hopeless romantic and, at the heart of Mrs Biggs is a love story.”
On the physical transition of Charmian from an impressionable teenager to a mother in her 30s, the actress reveals: “It’s a huge jump over the five episodes, but it was really clever how they aged Danny and I. The hair, the