Joanne Froggatt on the responsibility of portraying real-life events on screen

British actress Joanne Froggatt has said she goes to bed dreaming about her latest role because of the responsibility of portraying real-life events on screen.

Froggatt, 41, gained prominence for her portrayal of Anna Bates in period drama Downtown Abbey and stars in the upcoming BBC One series Sherwood.

Written by James Graham, Sherwood is in part inspired by real events involving two dramatic killings in a Nottinghamshire mining village – based on the village in which Graham grew up.

The hunt to find the person responsible for the killings inflame historic divisions sparked during the miners’ strike of 1984–1985.

Speaking about the new series on The One Show on Tuesday evening, Froggatt said: “It always adds an extra layer of responsibility when you’re dealing with either sensitive subject matters or true events, or anything inspired by true events, because you always want to do your best work, but you know, I literally go to bed dreaming about it.”

She added: “The thought of anyone sat at home, who’s been through anything similar, going, ‘they didn’t put the work in’ is my worst nightmare.”

Froggatt portrays Sarah Vincent in the series, a Tory-councillor hopeful.

She stars alongside fellow Downtown Abbey actor Kevin Doyle in the show, as well as David Morrissey, Lesley Manville and Lorraine Ashbourne.

Sherwood begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on June 13 at 9pm.