Last time we saw Jessica Brown Findlay she was tearing around medieval France in Kate Mosse's Labyrinthe and now the Downton Abbey actress is taking on another historical role in a brand new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn.
The former Sybil Crawley (who broke a fair few hearts when she reduced Allen Leech's Tom Branson to tears in one of the most gut wrenching death scenes Sunday night TV has seen in quite a while - damn you Fellowes!) will take the lead as Mary Yellan, a spirited young lass who is forced to move in with her aunt after her mother dies. Sounds awfully like Sybil to us already... *waggles eyebrows*
Mary's not to worried about heading off to live with her relatives, but when she arrives at Jamaica Inn things aren't exactly as she remembered. First of all, her Aunt Patience (Joanne Whalley) is not the carefree soul she once appeared to be, and then there's her domineering husband Joss (Sean Harris of Southcliffe fame) who just so happens to be heading up a bit of a covert operation.
Those of you looking for a bit of romance won't be forgotten with this one either: Young Mary crosses paths with her uncle's devilishly handsome rogue of a younger brother (The Paradise's Mathew McNulty, whom you might recognise from RTE's Single-Handed) Jem Merlyn. Sure who could say no to the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, eh? *cough*Branson 2.0*cough*
And as if getting a few fairly decent actors on board wasn't enough, they've also nabbed The White Queen screenwriter Emma Frost to helm the transition from book to TV screen. "I love Daphne du Maurier's novels and it's been a lifelong dream to adapt Jamaica Inn," said Frost. "I hope I have done justice to this wonderful tale of morality, survival and desire."
