Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt on playing 'not the most likeable character' in new series Sherwood

Screenwriter James Graham is no stranger to tackling homegrown topics of contention.

Whether it’s political debate as part of his Channel 4 drama Brexit: The Uncivil War, royal upheaval as seen in The Crown or financial deception courtesy of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-inspired ITV drama Quiz, his immersive, thought-provoking 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.

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.”

In the series, the events shatter an already fractured community.

As suspicion and antipathy build - both between lifelong neighbours and towards the police forces who descend on the town - the tragic killings threaten to inflame historic divisions sparked during the miners’ strike three decades before.

Yorkshire’s Joanne Froggatt, from Littlebeck, plays character Sarah Vincent in the show, the first episode of which airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight.

“Sarah is campaigning to be the local councillor so she’s very politically aware,” Froggatt says. “Her political views differ from the bulk of her community because she is campaigning as a Conservative in a predominantly working-class area, a hard Labour constituency.

“Ashfield has a history with mining and was hugely impacted in the 80s by Thatcher and the miners’ strikes. She is very opinionated and believes in going against the grain which does rub many people up the wrong way in the process.

“You do get to see her softer side though as we meet her husband, played by Bally Gill, and they are very much in love. He is the person that softens her hard shell.”

Sarah is “not the most likeable” character, says Downton Abbey star Froggatt. “That’s a fun challenge as an actor. As humans, we’re all multifaceted and multi-layered so it’s interesting to be able to explore those layers in somebody that, when you read them on the page, you think, Ah, okay, this one’s a piece of work.

“I really enjoy being the antagonist of a scene as well, where you’re the one that’s bringing the argument or going against the grain.

“That drama and friction is what makes for a good scene and Sarah is so often at the centre of that.”

“I think that’s a tale of caution, because we all know that things have divided us over the last few years.

“It’s a reminder that we’re all human beings and, as humans, empathy and understanding are such important traits that we need to exercise as much as we can.”