Cast of The Gallows Pole share how they prepared for their roles in Cragg Vale Coiners drama

Based on a novel of the same name by Ben Myers, the series has been written and directed by Shane Meadows who is known for his work on This Is England.

Michael Socha plays the role of David Hartley in the series, who is the leader of the Cragg Vale Coiners.

David is a man with a razor-sharp wit and while at first not the most natural leader he is a bold man who is determined to make sure his Coin Clipping enterprise is a success for him and most importantly his community.

Michael did a number of things to prepare for the role: “I worked on a farm for a week and learnt how to shear sheep, I did lots of walking around the area, I went to York castle to see where David was locked up, I learnt to clip coins, which I enjoyed doing, it was very satisfying.

"In This is England, I wasn’t in it half as much as I am in this and there’s also a bit more of a character attached to this role.

"I’m playing somebody who existed, so I’ve also got a back story that was half made for me. Whereas the character I played in This is England was, I suppose, a version of me.

"I think there are definitely elements of myself here, but in terms of back story, it’s already written.”

Sophie McShera portrays Grace Hartley in the series. Grace has spent her whole life in Cragg Vale is a lynchpin of the community and the person that is most able to rally people to David’s cause when he returns.

She shares how the cast bonded during the rehearsal process and how they walked where the characters would have walked back in the 18th century.

“In terms of preparation for the role, we had a really extensive audition rehearsal process, so I got to do loads of prep through that,” Sophie said.

"I think we first met each other a year or so before we started filming.

"We did a lot of improvising and we spent time together figuring out our back stories, and everyone spent time bonding within their characters as families and as pairs.

"We all did walks together and walked the places our characters would have walked.”

The Gallows Pole begins on BBC Two at 9pm on Wednesday (May 31) with all episodes available on IPlayer