10 things about Sheridan Smith’s new drama The Moorside – based on the ‘kidnapping’ of Shannon Matthews
The actress stars as the head of the Moorside residents and tenants' association
1 Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews hit the headlines in 2008 when she was reported missing by her mum, Karen. The Moorside, named after the Dewsbury estate in West Yorkshire where the family lived, follows the local women who worked tirelessly to find the girl.
“We wanted to do this sensitively so we don’t tell the story of Shannon,” reveals writer Neil McKay. “We tell the story of the community that came together.”
2 Although she’s headlining the drama, Sheridan Smith isn’t playing Karen – who was dubbed Britain’s ‘most-hated mum’ when, following a 24-day search, it transpired that she had faked the kidnapping with her boyfriend’s uncle, Michael Donovan. He’d been keeping Shannon at his home, so he and Karen could split the reward money. Sheridan stars as Karen’s neighbour Julie Bushby, who led the search. “We had Sheridan in mind from a very early stage,” says Neil.
3 A key character in the drama is Natalie Brown, another friend of Karen’s, who was the first to suspect she was hiding something. “Natalie picked up on signs that Karen’s behaviour wasn’t how it should be,” explains Sherlock actress Sian Brooke, who plays her.
4 Both Sheridan and Sian’s real-life counterparts were heavily involved in this project. “They were on set a lot and I went up to meet Natalie about a month before filming started,” explains Sian, while Neil adds that Sheridan and Julie “bonded”, and that both Julie and Natalie are “really pleased” with the show.
5 Rather than make the two-part drama on the actual Moorside estate, the production was shot in nearby Halifax instead. “We didn’t want to film in Dewsbury because the community had already been through a trauma,” explains Neil. “This had to be sensitively done.”
6 Neither Karen, who served half of her eight-year prison sentence and lives under a new name, nor Shannon, who is now in care with a new identity, were involved in the production. “We never contact the people who have committed the crimes we dramatize,” says Neil, who also wrote Fred West drama Appropriate Adult. As for Shannon, a court order protects her from being contacted, but the filmmakers did talk to her carers.
7 Former Downton Abbey star Siobhan Finneran, who appears in the drama as family-liason officer Christine Freeman, says reading the script made her see this case in a new light. “I thought this was a story I knew, but then I realised I didn’t know anything at all,” she admits.
8 Former Prime Minister David Cameron famously described the Moorside estate as an example of ‘Broken Britain’ and subsequently visited Julie Bushby to apologise. “He started to read a pre-written apology to her and Julie told him: ‘Stop. An apology comes from the heart, not a piece of paper written by someone else,’” Neil reveals.
9 Both Sian and Sheridan underwent voice coaching to help them perfect the Yorkshire dialect. “The Dewsbury accent is quite particular,” smiles Sian. “It lingered with me after shooting the drama, and I’d be talking to my husband and he would say: ‘Who are you?’”
10 Mum-of-seven Karen may have been vilified by many, but Neil was keen to present a more balanced view. “She is damaged, but to call her evil isn’t helpful,” he reasons. “Gemma Whelan, who plays Karen, gives an outstanding performance and captures her unknowability. It’s up to the audience to decide what they think of Karen, not for me to tell them what to think…”
NEW! The Moorside, Tuesday, 9pm, BBC1
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