Carol Bolton (Sarah Smart) is feisty, passionate and reckless. Life has dealt her a raw deal. She lives in poverty-stricken Sparkhouse Farm with a drunken father, Richard (Alun Armstrong). Carol's determined to protect those closest to her - younger sister Lisa (Abigail James) and her soul mate since childhood, Andrew Lawton (Joseph McFadden).

Andrew and Carol's love is not a teenage crush. Their passion is urgent, powerful, enormous, like the landscape they share; the raw energy of the wind, the awesome loneliness of the moors. Yet all of this is in danger of being destroyed when a Pandora's Box of secrets and lies is forced open.

Actress Sarah Smart was thrilled to be part of the production: "I was so excited when I was offered the role of Carol; she is so passionate and a great character to play."

The reflections of Wuthering Heights had echoes for Sarah - as did the influence of changed hairstyles: "I played Catherine Linton in a television version of Wuthering Heights. I had to wear a big blonde curly wig that upstaged me a bit! So I knew the story and adored all that angst and romance."

Speaking about his character , Joseph McFadden reveals: "Carol brings excitement into his life. I suppose you could say that she could be seen as a bad influence on him - she doesn't come from the 'right' kind of family. But for him it is the perfect love."

Producer Derek Wax believes the story's themes are perennial: "The battle between passionate love and economic necessity; following your heart, or doing something expedient, or socially desirable. These questions are the same in the 21st century as they were in the 19th."

Sparkhouse is written by Sally Wainwright, who previously penned At Home with the Braithwaites (which starred actress Sarah Smart as Virginia). She's also delivered modern takes on Chaucer's The Wife of Bath and Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, as well as writing The Amazing Mrs Pritchard.