Jack Thorne, 42, was born in Bristol and studied at Cambridge University. He’s the Bafta, Olivier and Tony award-winning writer of TV dramas such as This Is England, Skins, National Treasure and The Virtues. His theatre credits include Let the Right One In and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. His adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is currently airing on BBC One and his version of A Christmas Carol is the Old Vic’s livestreamed festive play.
Was A Christmas Carol a story you loved from childhood?
It was – mainly through The Muppet Christmas Carol, I must admit. When I reread the book, I was astonished by its beauty and power. Dickens wrote it in anger, and I love him for that.
Is it newly relevant again?
It’s been relevant since that word “austerity” came into politics a decade ago. Hidden behind that word is a lot of prejudice about working-class people. Scrooge is beset by that prejudice, and removing it…
