Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey, Robin Betteridge as Margaret Grey, Isabella Brownson as Catherine Grey and Anna Chancellor as Frances Grey in a scene from My ‘Lady Jane’ | Photo credit: Jonathan Prime
Anna Chancellor says she did not do any research for the role of Lady Frances Grey. my lady janeThe eight-episode series, starring the likes of Dominic Cooper and Jim Broadbent, is based on the bestselling YA novels by Brody Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodie Meadows and reimagines the life of Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days. Anna plays Lady Frances, the controlling, power-hungry mother of Jane (Emily Bader).
“I knew a little bit about Tudor England,” says Anna over a video call from Crete. “I knew about Henry VIII and Hampton Court. I knew he had a lot of young ladies and queens beheaded.” There was a strange paradox in Tudor England, Anna says. “They were incredibly sophisticated, dressed in great clothes, were big merchants and had a love of the arts, and yet they were extremely violent.”
The script wasn’t really historically accurate, Anna laughs. “The main thing was to understand the tone the producers wanted the story to take.”
When asked how she got the role, the 59-year-old actress said it was the “usual way”. “I was sent the script, auditioned, had two or three of my scenes put on tape, (we actors record ourselves now) and sent off. That was it, there was no big drama.”
an unpleasant woman
Although the show makes no significant mistakes in terms of authenticity, Anna says there are some differences between the historical Lady Frances and my lady jane Also poked fun at his daughter, alluding to Lady Frances.
“She’s seen in history as an unpleasant woman. From the diary that Lady Jane Grey wrote, it seemed like her mother might have been a bit mean, and that’s how she’s seen in history. I don’t know how accurate that is. In many versions of the story, she’s the domineering, scheming, power-mad mother. And that’s what the producers have gone for in this version as well.” Anna says Henry VIII’s reign was a dramatic time in history, which may explain the endless fascination with the period. Wolf Hall To Shardlake and countless iterations of the story of Henry and Anne Boleyn.
Public and personal
“England was ruled by the Roman Catholic Church and Henry VIII broke with the church to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. It’s such a mix of history and domestic affairs. If someone wanted to leave the Church of Rome for an alliance with Spain or complicated treaties, the audience might get a little confused,” she adds. “On one level, it’s a very easy story to understand. There’s a king who has six wives and he kills two of them in public. It’s a drama, isn’t it?”
Henry Ashton as Stan Dudley and Anna Chancellor as Frances Grey in a scene from ‘My Lady Jane’ | Photo credit: Jonathan Prime
Features and issues
Veteran of many costume dramas including Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey And CrownAnna says historical things bring with them a lot of perks and problems. “It’s incredible to have these costumes made for you by some of the best dressmakers. I had a lot of say, I could talk to the designer about my costume. You can bring paintings in to show what you like, what would look good on you. I love the clothes, the history and the paintings. It’s all great and they even make your own shoes (can you believe it!) and underwear – corsets that fit you. It helps you understand what it must have been like for people living at that time.”
Anna says that’s the best part. “The hardest part is trying to go to the toilet in a corset and dress! You have a microphone under your dress and then you realise you’ve dropped it in the little porter cabin. There are times when your skirt and hoops are so wide you can’t get through the door. You have to ask your partner to stand at the door so you can leave the cubicle door open while you use the toilet. The more gorgeous you are, the more character you have, the more things you have.”
Anna said that her favourite dress was my lady jane She wears a dress at the end of the show. “It’s red and gold brocade. Incidentally, a lot of the fabric for costume dramas comes from India because they’re still making beautiful, handmade, embroidered fabric. India still has a very strong interest in colour.”
My Lady Jane premieres on Prime Video on June 27
