Sherwood’s Monica Dolan and Lorraine Ashbourne open up about playing ‘brave’ and ‘complicated’ characters

Virgin Radio

10 Sep 2024, 13:45

The second series of Sherwood has come to a dramatic conclusion, with the finale ending in a showdown between Ann Branson and Daphne Sparrow.

Set in present day Nottingham, the series continued to explore the schisms caused by the miners' strike back in the day, and the much of narrative focused on an increasingly volatile situation between the Sparrow and the Branson families.

With the hostilities between the two coming to a head in the final episode (9th September), the series saw (vague spoiler alert) murders affecting both families, as the matriarchs sought to avenge, and protect, their clans. 

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Ahead of the series airing, Monica Dolan (who plays Ann Branson) and Lorraine Ashbourne (who plays Daphne Sparrow) sat down with virginradio.co.uk and other press to speak about their characters.

Talking about Daphne, who (series one spoiler incoming) used to be a cop before marrying Mickey and settling into a life on the other side of the law, Lorraine said: “She’s spent all of her life pretending, really, and pretending to be somebody else. She's very happy leading this double life. 

“There are plans that are made, and Daphne slips into criminality, I guess, very easily. She's very good at it. And it's complicated. She doesn't want to. The last people Daphne wants to ever deal with for the rest of her life are the police.!

The Bridgerton and Alma’s Not Normal star continued: “Who she is, it’s never left her. You know, she's been a policewoman. She knows she can deal with anything. And once her family are under threat, she's willing to go to any length to protect them. 

“Her morality is a little bit ambiguous at times, but… if it's going to save her family, she'll do anything.”

Speaking about Sherwood writer/director James Graham’s creation of Ann Branson, Monica said: “He builds 3D women. He writes so well. With Anne, I don't think I've ever played such a self-confident person.

“I don't know if we like it, but we've got lots of female characters that are very damaged or flawed or need help. I mean, God knows she needs help, but she doesn't know that she does. So it's quite exciting to play someone that brave.”

Continuing, the Mr Bates vs the Post Office actor said of her Sherwood character: “She's absolutely fearless. She'll just think, 'I'll go and see what's happening. I can smell something odd over there,’ even if it's a dangerous situation, and completely trust herself and her wits with the police and with the sheriff."

Talking about her character’s family of men - husband Mickey (Philip Jackson) and sons Rory (Perry Fitzpatrick) and Ronan (Bill Jones) - Lorraine said: “It's all in the writing, like with the Sparrows, I am really, really lucky that we've got Perry, fantastic, Phil Jackson, brilliant, and Bill. All brilliant, gorgeous, gorgeous, fantastic actors and lovely people and brilliant man. All of them very happily defer to me. And that's great and really unusual. Really unusual, because I played a few strong women in my time, and you do not always get male actors that will happily defer to you. 

“It's in the script, but that is often overlooked, quite honestly. They can just shift things around.”

She added: “Phil Jackson will have to turn to me and go, ‘What do you think, love?’ To me. And it gives it to me. But it’s down to the actors, those men, choosing to do that. And it's really, really brilliant, refreshing when you get it.”

The second series concludes with (another slight spoiler) a dramatic scene between the two strong women at the water's edge. When asked if they did their own stunts during filming, Lorraine enthused about her co-star: “She certainly was magnificent on the day. And put herself in danger I think, honestly.”

Elsewhere, David Morrissey joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show to speak all about Sherwood. When asked about the chances of a third series, he said: “The answer is, that's always above my pay grade! I don't know, is the answer to that. That will be up to James [Graham - writer/director].”

During her chat with virginradio.co.uk and other press, Monica Dolan also spoke about the importance of TV dramas in the wake of her historic series Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Read what she had to say here.

Sherwood series one and two are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.