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How could you respond if that wildest friend from your teenage years reappeared? What if you were battling a terminal illness and had nothing to lose? What if you felt guilty for getting your friend imprisoned 10 years ago? If you were the one she got sent to prison and you were only being released to succumb to illness in her care? If you used to be a nearly unbeatable pair of con artists who still had a collection of costumes from your prime and a deep desire for one last thrill?

All this and more are the questions that Frauds, a new drama featuring Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker, presents to viewers on a exhilarating, intense season-long journey that traces two female fraudsters bent on executing a final scheme. Echoing a recent project, Jones developed this series with a writing partner, and it retains similar qualities. Much like a suspense-driven structure was used as background to the psychodramas gradually unveiled, here the grand heist Jones’ character Roberta (Bert) has carefully planned while incarcerated since her diagnosis is a means to explore an exploration of friendship, betrayal and love in every variation.

Bert is placed under the supervision of Sam (Whittaker), who lives nearby in the Spanish countryside. Guilt stopped her from seeing Bert during her sentence, but she has stayed close and avoided scams without her – “Bit crass with you in prison for a job I botched.” And for her new, albeit short, life on the outside, she has bought her plenty of new underwear, because there are many ways for women companions to offer contrition and a classic example is the purchase of “a big lady-bra” after a decade of uncomfortable institutional clothing.

Sam wants to carry on leading her quiet life and care for Bert until her passing. Bert has other ideas. And when your daftest friend has other ideas – well, those tend to be the ones you follow. Their former relationship slowly resurfaces and Bert’s plans are underway by the time she reveals the complete plan for the robbery. The series experiments with chronology – to good rather than eye-rolling effect – to present key scenes initially and then the explanations. So we observe the duo slipping jewellery and watches off wealthy guests’ wrists at a funeral – and bagging a golden crown of thorns because why wouldn’t you if you could? – before removing their hairpieces and reversing their funeral attire to become colourful suits as they walk confidently down the chapel stairs, awash with adrenaline and assets.

They require the stolen goods to finance the operation. This entails recruiting a forger (with, unbeknown to them, a betting addiction that is likely to draw unwanted attention) in the form of illusionist’s aide Jackie (Elizabeth Berrington), who possesses the necessary skills to help them remove and replace the intended artwork (a renowned Dali painting at a prominent gallery). Additionally, they recruit feminist art collector Celine (Kate Fleetwood), who specialises in works by artists depicting female subjects. She is equally merciless as all the criminals the forger and their funeral robbery are attracting, including – most perilously of all – their former leader Miss Take (Talisa Garcia), a contemporary crime lord who had them running scams for her since their youth. She reacted poorly to their declaration of independence as self-reliant tricksters so there’s ground to make up there.

Unexpected developments are interspersed with progressively uncovered truths about the duo’s past, so you experience the full enjoyment of a sophisticated heist tale – executed with no shortage of brio and admirable willingness to overlook obvious implausibilities – plus a mesmerisingly intricate portrait of a friendship that is potentially as harmful as her illness but just as impossible to uproot. Jones delivers arguably her best and multifaceted portrayal yet, as the wounded, bitter Bert with her endless quest for thrills to divert attention from the gnawing pain within that is unrelated to metastasising cells. Whittaker supports her, doing brilliant work in a slightly less interesting part, and together with the creative team they craft a fantastically stylish, deeply moving and highly insightful piece of entertainment that is feminist to its bones devoid of lecturing and in every way a triumph. Eagerly awaiting future installments.