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We’re in a cold and cavernous house, north of the M25, which is doubling as seedy Soho in the 18th century for ITV’s intriguing drama Harlots. The set is like a rabbit warren, with corridors

stretching hither and thither, while outside tiny alleys criss-cross to replicate the intricate Georgian streetscape of inner London where, according to producer Alison Owen,

“There were brothels on every corner in 1760s London run by women who were both enterprising and tenacious. History has largely ignored them, but their stories are outrageous, brutal,

humorous and real.”

The eight-part costume drama, currently on ITV Encore, has a dream cast. Heading the bill is award-winning Samantha Morton (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Rillington Place), who is

joined by Lesley Manville (Mum, Maleficent) and Jessica Brown Findlay (The Outcast, Downton Abbey). 

The drama is based on the stories of real women of the period.

It follows Margaret Wells (Morton) as she struggles to reconcile her roles as mother and brothel owner. When her business comes under attack from Lydia Quigley (Manville), a rival madam with

a ruthless streak, Margaret fights back, even though it puts her family at risk.

Brown Findlay plays Charlotte, Margaret’s eldest daughter and the city’s most coveted courtesan.

The first thing you notice about the cast of Harlots is their extraordinary wigs, which seem to enter the room before they do. They tower above their heads like coiffured meringues. 

The costumes are no less fetching. After all, they are seeking the attention of others as they ply their trade in the oldest of all professions.

Samantha Morton has had such a rich vein of work on British television recently that although she’s friendly, you suspect her mind is elsewhere as she talks about Harlots, focusing on her

character Margaret Wells.

“I pretty much live in the character all the time on set. I go home and I turn off. I think that’s been my method over the last 20 years. 

I don’t psychoanalyse my character, I’m not that kind of actor. I didn’t go to drama school. I was an extra and got into drama in a different kind of way. So I just live it. I’m not good at

being a spokesperson for the writers. They’ll tell you that.”

On the script, Samantha explains what attracted her to the project. “The first thing was the idea of working with Debra Heywood and women that I find incredible in the film industry, and

with Moira [Buffini, the writer] too.

“Many years ago I was in Band Of Gold – I was 16 or 17 when I did that – and I’m now 39, which is a long time ago, and it’s kind of a return to television for me so it seemed like a really

nice full circle to have played an exploited child prostitute and query how women got to be in the sex industry.

“I also found the historical angle absolutely fascinating, and the book, which I didn’t know existed. I liked looking at that. I’m also a huge admirer of Lesley Manville and we’d never

worked together before. I thought, ‘This could be really, really special if we get it right.’”

It’s no ordinary book that Samantha refers to. Harris’s List Of Covent Garden Ladies, published from 1757 to 1795, was an annual directory of prostitutes working in Georgian London. For two

shillings and sixpence, you could read about the physical appearance and “sexual specialities” of about 120 to 190 prostitutes who worked in and around Covent Garden.

Through their “erotic prose”, the lists’ authors review some of these women in lurid detail. It’s been a rich source of material for the writers of Harlots.

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Samantha thoroughly researched the period. So was she surprised what women had to do to survive? Margaret has to prostitute her daughter, played by Jessica Brown Findlay. It’s unthinkable

today. Or is it? 

“Yes, you can imagine it today, absolutely. It’s about the age of consent, not families. It might not be talked about, but it certainly does run in families. But what is shocking [about

then] is the age of consent. It was 12 and it still is that in other countries today. We’re making an historical drama, but a lot of it is still happening today.”

She adds: “Strictly speaking, my daughter is a kept lady, a mistress, and you are paid for that. That happens today, too.”

Samantha had a less than ideal start in life but it irrevocably made her the no-nonsense person she is today. Born in Nottingham in 1977, she had six half-siblings from her parents’

relationships. She lived with her father until she was eight when she was made a ward of court.

Her father, Peter Morton, was an abusive alcoholic. During the next nine years, she lived between foster and care homes. But through the Central Junior Television Workshop, her emerging

talent was discovered and at 13, she was offered small-screen roles in Soldier Soldier and Boon. Her first regular role was in Band Of Gold in 1996, a drama about women who lived and worked

in Bradford’s red light district. 

Her extraordinary childhood was told in Channel 4’s The Unloved, a semi-biographical film that was directed by Samantha and broadcast in 2009. In 2014, triggered by the Rotherham child

exploitation scandal, she talked about the sexual abuse she experienced in the foster care system. 

Samantha brings exceptional life experience to every role. We discuss the director Ken Loach’s criticisms of period drama. He said the BBC, and other channels, brought “fake nostalgia”. 

“I think the BBC have some issues in what they want to portray. Shows like Poldark are obviously brilliant but we’ve seen it before. 

Every 10 years, you’ve got a Jane Eyre, you’ve got a Poldark. We just rehash. We have a duty to the public to commission writers and say, ‘What do you want to say?’ It’s not about being

harder, it’s about being original.”

Samantha puts the case for decriminalising prostitution in the UK: “I think we need to follow the European model, yes, and decriminalise it and protect people. The way that they treat women

just means it goes more and more underground.”

It seems to be off the agenda now, I suggest. “Of course. What’s happening in the world?”

She adds: “I don’t know if it will provoke debate, but I think it would be fascinating for people to talk about it because of the historical accuracy of it. They will go, ‘Wow.’”

Samantha reveals she has written another film: “Fingers crossed about this one. We’re hopefully going into pre-production this year. 

It’s the continuation of The Unloved. I originally tried to do it as a series, but they were looking for comedy. I’m developing it – working title Starlings – with Channel 4 and the BFI, and

let’s hope we get the full money. We’ll see.”

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