Suranne Jones on Doctor Foster: This will make tricky viewing for some couples

What would you do if you suspected your partner of having an affair? That’s the question at the heart of gripping new drama Doctor Foster, which portrays one woman’s determination to discover the truth – at all costs.

Starring Suranne Jones and written by award-winning screenwriter Mike Bartlett, the five-part series, which began last week, follows village GP Gemma Foster whose personal and professional lives descend into chaos as she turns detective. 

Also starring Bertie Carvel (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Babylon) as Gemma’s husband, Simon, the tense first episode saw Gemma quizzing her friends, searching her husband’s emails and phone, and even roping a patient into her quest for the truth. Suranne admits that she was hooked as soon as she read the script.

 “The series raises so many questions,” she says. “Gemma is a busy working mother, so does she give enough attention to her husband and child? Does a working mother notice what is going on?

Is she putting enough effort into herself? She is the breadwinner, so could that cause problems? It will make tricky viewing for some couples.”

Suranne, who made her acting debut playing Karen McDonald in Coronation Street for four years until 2004, and who has since starred in dramas such as Vincent with Ray Winstone, Unforgiven and Scott & Bailey, says it is the emotionally complex nature of the drama that will reel people in. 

“She wonders, is it her? Is she right? She mustn’t cross that line unless she has the answers, and that’s why she starts the investigation,” explains Suranne. 

Episode one ended on a tantalising cliffhanger. After one of Gemma’s patients reported that she saw Simon kissing another woman, Gemma’s investigation intensified and she uncovered a mobile phone, hidden in the boot of their car.

On it, she was shocked to discover intimate pictures of Simon with the young daughter of one of her patients, as well as two other women – apparently conspirators to the affair – and texts from her colleague, Ros.

Devastated, she is this week faced with the dilemma of whether to stay or go, whether to confront Simon or remain silent. In the end, she decides to challenge Ros, who reveals she knew about the affair, but was unable to say anything because Simon had opened up to her at the surgery, as a patient.

Gemma struggles to come to terms with what her husband has done.

“It is very complicated because even when she knows that Simon is being unfaithful and there is evidence put in front of her, it is hard to believe. There are 15 years of trust and love that she doesn’t want to let go of,” adds Suranne.

“She wants to know whether his infidelity is something real and important and that is the beauty of the hooks for episodes two, three and four. You go, ‘Just leave him, no don’t leave him, yes do leave him.’ The not knowing is what keeps her there.”

Suranne is tight-lipped about how it will end, but explains that we will find out more about Gemma and about her marriage to Simon along the way.

“We discover who she was before she married him and again that raises lots of questions,” she says. “Do you forget parts of yourself to be in a marriage and make that work? Can you remain who you once were, can you grow together positively or do you lose a bit of yourself?”

In real life, Suranne couldn’t be happier – the 37 year old tied the knot with her magazine editor fiancée Laurence Akers at Islington Town Hall a year ago, in an intimate ceremony of close friends and family.

It was a whirlwind romance for the pair, who got engaged six weeks after meeting at a wedding.

Professionally, it’s been a busy year for the actress, too. She has begun filming a fifth series of detective drama Scott & Bailey and is due to appear in the film A Christmas Star later this year.

In fact, Suranne is fast becoming one of this country’s most in-demand actresses, so what was it about Doctor Foster that appealed to her so much?

“Mike Bartlett’s name on a script is a big pull,” she says. “Then Bertie came on board and the cast got more interesting and brilliant. The whole thing was a bit of a no-brainer really.”

That said, Suranne found the filming schedule for Doctor Foster a demanding one.

“It’s been pretty exhausting. There are only about five or six scenes in the series that I’m not in. But there is a scene in episode four and it’s great for the character because she is exhausted and I do look exhausted!”

Ever the professional, Suranne was keen to undertake as much research as possible to step into the shoes of the village GP.

“There was a brilliant documentary series called GPs Behind Closed Doors on Channel 5. My husband used to come in and I would be crying at all of these real people in intimate situations,” she reveals.

And it wasn’t just watching documentaries that helped Suranne get into character. 

“I had a sense that Gemma was a pillar of the community, so I went to a GP surgery and sat in on a consultation. I was the mad actress writing notes in the corner while people were opening up and having blood tests or doing pee samples! I felt very awkward,” she laughs. 

Doctor Foster, Wednesday, 9pm, BBC1