British Empire ‘horrible’ in Dickens series
THE BBC’S remake of Great Expectations portrays the British Empire as “a horrible thing”, the show’s lead actor has said.
The 1861 novel has been adapted into a six-part costume drama, and while still set in the 19th century, it is a far cry from Charles Dickens’s portrayal of the Victorian era.
Writer Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, has given the classic his own twist with a strong anti-colonial message and references to the evils of the British Empire.
In one of Knight’s scenes, criminal Magwitch, portrayed by Johnny Harris, says the Empire was built on the lies of privileged white men. Fionn Whitehead, who plays orphan Pip, the novel’s main character, doesn’t disagree.
“The Empire was a horrible thing which involved a lot of British people going out and enslaving, pillaging and destroying a lot of cultures around the world,” he said.
“It was powered by greed. If there’s anyone walking around believing that the Empire was a great thing they are kidding themselves,” the actor added.
Whitehead hopes the BBC’S new dramatisation will be “more accessible for younger people”, with Knight telling his cast that the adaptation is about removing the stiffness associated with Victorian Britain.
Asked if he worries his adaptation may upset traditionalists, Knight said: “It’s everyone’s right to react in the way they want to react. But I would say that the book exists, it is still there. This is not an attempt to say the book is wrong or this is better.”
The series’ cast also includes Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham, Ashley Thomas as Mr Jaggers and Shalom Brune-franklin as Estella.