Warning: contains spoilers forSherlockseries 3.

Not by a long chalk…

We just saw a brief clip of the Special…

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Oh, did you?

More than Ive bloody seen!

How is it playing the Victorian Mary?

You put the costume on, do you immediately stand up straighter?

Yeah, you do.

Youre in a corset.

That just happens automatically with the costume.

Because its really heavy!

Repression, keeping the women down…

So it makes you quite static?

[laughter] And I dont wear a corset in that, so its much more free.

Its all very held.

You mention repression in the era and keeping women down.

Is that purely a sartorial consideration or has it affected your portrayal of the character?

The way Marks written it, there are elements of sufferage so you tend to play that.

Is Mary more demure in this?

Slightly, yeah, but weve still kept her sparkiness and her glint.

Shes certainly got a bit of scrappiness about her and we didnt want to lose that.

But shes kind of fighting it.

Is she still an international assassin?

[Laughs]

What did you think when they told you they were going to do a periodSherlock?

You really feel you get a sense of Conan Doyles London at that time.

I dont think so.

Its just a different take on it.

Ihopeand have a feeling that the fans are going to love it because its an exciting episode.

When Martin and I read it, we were just going through it going this is fantastic!

Is there a no-Sherlockrule in your household?

No there really isnt!

Theres definitely not a noSherlockrule in our house.

We love it and the kids adore it, they love it.

Martin Freeman mentioned that he listens to audio versions of the Conan Doyle originals.

To be honest, I wasnt a huge Conan Doyle fan.

It never was in my radar when I was younger.

I dont know why, I just never dipped into it.

It was never really on my radar.

Do you think thats because beforeSherlock, it was perhaps considered a bit boyish?

I dont know many girls that read it in my class.

Do you think thats changed now with the show?

There are so many young girls reading it.

and they went yeah, were massive fans.

I think thats because of this particular version of Sherlock, Im sure it is.

The Conan Doyle books, it almost seems, cant really be bothered with women.

Its a mans world…

I think that has some bearing.

Women come and go and arent particularly featured.

Your character in the new one is a big kick against that?

Yeah, which is lovely.

But I do think Steven and Mark write very well for women in this.

Youre trying not to say too much!

[Laughing] Because Id tell you all of it now.

Give me a glass of wine and Ill tell you everything!

Is it right that you didnt know about Marys assassin past when you first started playing her?

Returning to the character in the knowledge of her assassin past, how has that changed your performance?

Its a different entity I guess.

Theres no real link to that, its taken out of context.

She does different stuff in this which is very exciting.

Is there an unusual pleasure being in something so devoured by people?

Are there pleasures and pain that go with that intense scrutiny?

Its brilliant being in something so successful and so popular and so loved, but with that.

ItsMartin Freemans girlfriend, its nepotism, its going to beawful.

It really kind of split fans I think.

You had some quite horrible stuff on Twitter didnt you?

I tend to block it all now, not do anything with it.

Would you have liked to have done this Sherlock Holmes if youd been offered this Victorian version?

I love the period and I love the fashion and the language.

Its a lot of fun.

Any preference between this and the modern one?

No, theyre both really different animals.

I do like the Victorian one, I do like it being set in the time it was written.

There is something really challenging about that and really nice to play.

Presumably Mary does get some action, necessitating the plus fours?

Yes, she does.

Shes not the subservient wife in it, by a long chalk.

Yeah, I did get a lot of that.

It was never intended that she was there to break them up.

Do you think fans have now got beyond that?

I think a majority of them have.

I dont think she ever did.

Shes a flawed character, because of what shes done, and she shoots Sherlock and thats unforgiveable!

The Abominable Bride airs on the 1st of January on BBC One, time TBC.