Acclaimed for his screenplays for TV dramas including Skins, Shameless, The Fades, This is England '86/'88/'90 and Glue, Jack Thorne first emerged as a writer of unflinching, compassionate and often challenging plays for the stage. Described as a 'powerful voice for Britain's youth' ( Independent), he remains one of the most distinctive talents working in theatre today and was chosen by JK Rowling to write the script for Ha...

The official playscript of the original West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.It's been nineteen years since Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger saved the wizarding world, and now they're back on a most extraordinary adventure, joined by a brave new generation that's only just arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son, Albus, struggles with the weight...

Set in the antebellum South of the United States, "Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly" tells the story of the Hanover family, a group of enslaved individuals living on a plantation in Georgia. The novel follows their struggles and triumphs as they navigate the harsh realities of slavery and strive to maintain their dignity and humanity in the face of oppression.At the center of the story is the protagonist, Solomon Hanover, a courageous and determined young man who dreams of freedom ...

In May 1926, Britain grinds to a halt, as workers down tools for the General Strike.With the printing presses shut down, the only sources of news are the government's British Gazette, edited by Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill, and the independent, fledgling British Broadcasting Company, led by John Reith. The stage is set for a fierce battle over control of the news and who gets to define the truth.Jack Thorne's When Winston Went To War With The W...

If you could spend eternity with just one precious memory, what would it be? A group of strangers grapple with this impossible question as they find themselves in a bureaucratic waiting room between life and death. Encouraged by enigmatic officials, they must sift through their past lives to choose their forever. Adapted from Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning film, After Life is a surreal and powerfully human look at the way we view our lives, and a haunting meditation on what it is to liv...

'No talent at all when it comes to cooking – as you will discover – but when it comes to pissing off my children – immense talent – Olympian talent.'Newbury, 1997. Sal is attempting to cook dinner for the family. She and husband David have pulled off a coup and gathered their brood back home for the weekend. Eldest son Carl is bringing his new girlfriend to meet everyone for the first time; middle daughter Polly is back from Cambridge University for the occasion; and young...

A play about grief and looking at someone that little bit more closely.Tom's brother Luke is dead. This has upset a lot of people but it hasn't upset Tom. Or, rather, it has upset him, but in ways he can't explain and other people can't understand. You see, Tom and Luke were never friends. In fact, Tom didn't really like Luke at all.So it's an odd decision - to try and bury Luke in the pavement of the Tunstall Estate where he was killed. But to Tom, it sort of makes sense, ...

In "Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly," Jack Thorne presents a vivid exploration of social injustice and the human condition through a richly layered narrative that blends realism with poignant character studies. Set against the backdrop of a society deeply stratified by class and power dynamics, Thorne employs a lyrical yet accessible prose style, drawing on traditional storytelling techniques while infusing contemporary sensibilities. The book's fervent dialogue and evocative desc...

1964: Richard Burton, the firebrand Welsh actor, newly married to movie star Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new production of Hamlet under the exacting direction of John Gielgud.But as rehearsals progress, the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel. One of them is the most famous movie star in the world; the other, a patrician from an earlier age of theatre. The stage is set for two titans to collide.Jack ...

In "Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly," Jack Thorne weaves a poignant narrative that explores the complexities of class struggle and social injustice in 19th-century England. Through a rich tapestry of characters, Thorne employs a lyrical yet unyielding prose style that captures the grit and resilience of the marginalized. The novel deftly illustrates the intersection of personal and societal conflicts, drawing on historical events and the prevailing Victorian ethos, which sets a cr...

One bitter Christmas Eve, a cold-hearted miser is visited by four ghosts. Transported to worlds past, present and future, Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses what a lifetime of fear and selfishness has led to, and sees with fresh eyes the lonely life he has built for himself. Can Ebenezer be saved before it's too late?Jack Thorne's joyous adaptation of Charles Dickens's timeless classic premiered at The Old Vic, London, in 2017, in a production directed by Matthew Warchus, and starring Rhys...

After the breakout success of his early work for stage and screen, Jack Thorne turned for inspiration to his own family for a series of plays about hope, idealism and domestic politics. The work in this collection – five full-length plays and two shorts – showcases his extraordinary ability to combine electrifying dialogue with heartfelt warmth, candour and humour.Hope(Royal Court Theatre, 2014) is a funny and scathing fable about the leaders of a local co...