“In Dickens, tragedy and comedy work alongside each other”: Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery on Dodger

Dodger is the wildly successful BAFTA-winning family drama series, which transports viewers back to Dickensian London with the infamous Artful Dodger, AKA Jack Dawkins (Billy Jenkins), following his exploits with Fagin (played by the veteran British actor Christopher Eccleston) before the events of Oliver Twist began.

The Upcoming spoke to creators Rhys Thomas (Star Stories, The Fast Show) and Lucy Montgomery (The Friday Night Project, The IT Crowd) about writing and starring in the show, ahead of the Easter specials landing on TV screens. The writers highlighted the importance of embracing diversity in the series, both to reflect modern Britain and accurately represent 1830s London. They touched on the ongoing social inequalities in Britain and how Dodger aims to educate and inform young audiences through comedy and drama, with their work on adult comedies also infusing the scripts. They also shared their experiences filming on the hottest day in Britain, facing challenges with young actors and limited time, while reminiscing about memorable moments on-set. The pair further revealed their recent and upcoming projects, with Montgomery acting in a new drama by Jack and Harry Williams, and Thomas working on a sequel to his successful collaboration with Gary Kemp.

Sarah Bradbury

The Dodger Easter special is on BBC One, CBBC and BBC iPlayer on 7^th April 2023. Dodger season one is available on BBC iPlayer now.

Watch the trailer for Dodger here: