Stars of a new BBC drama have spoken of their 'fascination' with the tragic story of a Nottinghamshire village which inspired the series. Actors David Morrissey, Joanne Froggatt and Bally Gill all feature in BBC One's new drama Sherwood, which is based on what happened in Annesley Woodhouse and the murders of newly-wed Chanel Taylor and 62-year-old ex-miner Keith Frogson in 2004.
Their two separate killers had gone to ground in woodland near the village, leading to one of the biggest police manhunts in British history. Along with this causing panic, the situation was complicated by a lingering distrust towards the arriving police officers after the miners' strike in 1984, according to Sherwood's creator James Graham who grew up in the village.
David Morrissey, who has appeared in The Walking Dead and The Missing, plays police chief Ian St Clair in the new show. The star said he had been 'fascinated' to learn more about the two murders, and about the affect of the miners' strike on the area.
"I was really fascinated to find out more about the complexities around the story. James [Writer of Sherwood] and I went for a walk before and what I found wonderful [about the script] was that it focused on the breakdown of the community - I also thought it was very funny," Mr Morrissey said.
"James is from the area, and the characters' relationships between each other and the village is interesting. For example, you have a successful police officer who confronts his demons and past shame there.
"From Ian's [Morrissey's character] point of view he has a great sensitivity about the village and its history. He has to remind other officers about 'scabs' and he quashes any Robin Hood comments. People of my age remember the miners' strikes but it is important to remind a modern audience of the chaos of it."
In 2004, officers and their search dogs had combed dense woodland for clues in the murders, with impact of the huge police presence echoed in the new series. The two suspects were Terry Rodgers, who had shot Chanel, and Robert Boyer, who had slain Mr Frogson with a crossbow and Samurai sword.
The search for Rodgers involved a team of more than 450 officers from forces across the UK, cost more than £1.5m, and led to "wanted" posters being stuck onto lamp-posts and in shop windows. Days earlier Boyer had disappeared into the same woodland.
Rodgers eluded police for almost three weeks after constructing a shelter in the woods. He was finally found on August 16, the day after Boyer had been discovered.
Rodgers, then 55, admitted the manslaughter of his newly-wed daughter Chanel on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but denied her murder. However, prosecutors refused to accept his plea, and a murder trial was set for March 6, 2006, but he went on hunger strike and died in February, 2006.
Boyer, then 42, later pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Keith Frogson and at Nottingham Crown Court was given an indefinite hospital order. Boyer, who had mental health problems, wrongly believed Mr Frogson was out to get him.
Sherwood also references the impact of Conservative Party victory in the traditionally Labour controlled 'red wall' village, and tensions between the public and the police in a historical and present context. Actors Joanne Froggatt, who featured in Downton Abbey as Anna Bates, and Bally Gill, who has previously played Romeo in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo and Juliet, hoped the six-part drama would be a "talking point".
Joanne Froggatt, who plays local Conservative councillor Sarah Vincent, said: "James has done the most incredible job; Sherwood isn't just a crime drama, it is also a state of the nation and commentary, it is hard to quantify it in one genre. With being from the area James knows the sense of humour, and these characters feel very real with the relationships they have with each other.
"I hope that it will be a talking point, with it referring to community and politics. It's all about the sense of community that they are missing in the show."
Bally Gill, who plays her partner Neel Fisher in the new show, added: "It is always really fascinating working on something that is based on something real. People might not agree with it, but I think it tells the truth of what has happened to our country. It is a true reflection of the tensions that exist." Sherwood will air on Monday, June 13, at 9pm on BBC One.
