Last Austen tale is refreshing look at a country in a state of upheaval Inspired by Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel, ITV drama Sanditon is a compelling depiction of a developing Regency seaside town from creator Andrew Davies. We find out more...

SANDITON 5 NOTABLE AUSTEN ADAPTATIONS

When a carriage accident introduces the young Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) to the Parker family, she embarks on a journey from the only home she has ever known to the seaside idyll of Sanditon.

Carried along by the enthusiasm of entrepreneur Tom Parker (Kris Marshall) for the development of the once small fishing village into a fashionable seaside resort, Charlotte quickly finds herself at the heart of a diverse and unexpected community.

From the direct but miserly Lady Denham (Anne Reid) , on whose fortune the Sanditon project relies, to the bitter fight between the numerous relatives hoping to inherit Lady Denham’s money, Charlotte quickly discovers that not everyone is as they first appear. With the arrival of a wealthy mixed race heiress, and a succession of hypochondriacs seeking saltwater ‘cures’ flooding in, Charlotte must learn for the first time to navigate the complex social structures evident in the town.

And then there is Sidney Parker (Theo James) . Handsome, but also the most wild of the Parker brothers, Sidney and Charlotte almost immediately clash. Charlotte - spirited, open and inexperienced - is tactlessly forthright about Sidney’s family and he is affronted by her stridency and naïve ignorance. With the dark sea stretching out behind them, and the bustle of a regency ball just out of ear-shot, the battle lines of this central, winding and heated romance are drawn.

Amidst the rival suitors and unexpected danger, can Charlotte and Sidney see past each other’s flaws and forge a real relationship? Against the backdrop of Tom’s ambitious vision for the town beginning to crumble, can Sanditon

– and Charlotte’s place within it – be saved?

This rich, family saga stretching from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London, leads us to the heart of a town consumed by class divide, ambition, power play and romance. In Sanditon, Charlotte Heywood comes to discover herself… and ultimately find love.

We caught up with star Rose Williams.

The name Andrew Davies connotes so much. It is always a sign of very high quality. I was also drawn to the fact that it was a Jane Austen that people might not be familiar with. It was the last book she wrote, and the interpretation of the character of Charlotte is told from a more modern slant. She’s not focused on marriage. Love finds her rather than her trying to find love. I love a love story, and this is a gorgeous romance. All in all, it’s an absolute dream role.

She’s headstrong. She speaks before she thinks. Having grown up on a farm, she is also quite practical. She’s very modern, too. She is focused on the new. She is interested in architecture and loves meeting new people. She has a lot of ideas, but not much experience to back them up. She has never been out of Willingden before, and so her ideas of everywhere else come from books. She has fantasies of a life she has not lived yet. Like Catherine in Northanger Abbey, it’s just in her imagination.

I have so enjoyed my scenes with him. Theo brings a real elegance to the character. He carries himself as a sophisticated Regency gentleman. He feels 100% Sidney Parker in every