You might recognise the title of the new Australian Star Original Series “The Artful Dodger”, but you definitely aren’t prepared for the story inside.
“The Artful Dodger” traces the young adult life of Charles Dickens’ loveable rogue. Set in 1850s Australia, in the bustling town of Port Victory, Jack Dawkins, the titular charter, is all grown up and has graduated from mere pickpocket to impressive surgeon. But his chequered past comes back to bite him with the unexpected arrival of Fagin, who attempts to drag him back into society’s seedy underbelly.
“From heists and life-and-death surgeries to the harsh realities of the criminal world mingling with the middle ground and gentry,” reads the blurb on the new production, “The Artful Dodger” “is a tale of reinvention, betrayal, redemption, and love with a twist.”
Thomas Brodie-Sangster does a wonderful job in the lead role, but the rest of the cast is just as impressive: there’s top Australian talent including Damon Herriman as Captain Lucien Gaines (“Justified”, “Mindhunter”), as well as acclaimed English actor David Thewlis (“Naked”, “Harry Potter”) who brings intriguing new touches to the iconic character of Fagin.
Following the release of “The Artful Dodger”, Variety Australia caught up with Thewlis and Herriman to discuss their roles, the differences between “Oliver Twist” and “The Artful Dodger”, British and Australian humour, and much more.
“The Artful Dodger” is an Australian Star Original Series now streaming only on Disney+.
Variety Australia: What initially attracted you both to the production?
David Thewlis: For me, it was continuing kind of the legacy of this story that was an important part of my childhood because I was a little guy when this the musical came out. And it was just everywhere at the time. When I watched it again recently, I was amazed to know that I remembered all the lyrics, and so much of the film was in my heart, even though I hadn’t seen it in all the years in between. Later in life, in the early 90s, I actually became friends with Lionel Bart who wrote the musical.
I also live in London in the area of London where “Oliver Twist” takes place, in Clerkenwell. I live three streets away from Saffron Hill, which is where Fagan lives in the book, and opposite Clerkenwell Green, where Dodger first meets Oliver.
Damon Herriman: For me, it was getting to work with people like David, to be honest. Hearing David was in it was definitely where I set up and took a lot of notice. And then I knew I was going to be working with Jeffrey Walker again, who I’ve worked with before and loved working with.
I started reading it and it was a real page turner, I couldn’t stop reading it. I had been sort of trying to steer away from playing villains for a while because I’d played quite a few in a row, but there was something about this one that was just too delicious, and it was different enough from what I’d done before. There was a fun element to it. That really appealed to me.
Most of our readers will be familiar with the original “Oliver Twist” story, but how does “The Artful Dodger” play on this? How is the story updated?
David: Well, the main thing you should know is the story takes place 15 years after the end of the story in the book so the Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins, is now 28 years old, a grown man. He’s living in Australia scraping a living as a surgeon in the hospital, a very brilliant surgeon. We come to find out he learned his trade on a naval vessel, he escaped from England from prison and boarded a naval vessel and became a ship surgeon and now he’s living in the colonies as a surgeon. And Fagin arrives as a convict to lure him back into his old ways.
Was it a fun cast to be part of?
Damon: It was the most fun cast to be part of. That sort of helps when from the top down, you’ve got people being really cool and fun. It’s a bit of a cliché, but we did become a bit of a family. This special little family that really enjoys being together and it’s very sad when it ends. So hopefully, we get to do it all again!
Will there be a series two?
David: Well, I bloody hope so! I just put a downpayment on a house.
Australians appreciate a lovable rogue and Aussie battler. Do you think they’ll take to the Artful Dodger’s character?
David: Yeah, they’ll take to him. I will say we were both big fans of the show. It’s got a bit of something for everyone. It’s got the humour, it’s got the grit, it’s got the mystery. It’s got the romance. Yeah, it’s a winner.
Damon: And Thomas’ performance is just so wonderful that it’s someone you want to spend time with. His performance as that character is someone you want to watch. You like him, you care about him, you’re worried for him, he makes you laugh. You want him to succeed.
With the action being transferred to Australia from London, how does this influence the narrative?
David: I suppose some of the entertainment comes from seeing these very famous characters who in our minds are so particularly ingrained into the fabric of London as a location, and then bringing those same characters here, to the other side of the world in such an extraordinary different environment.
I think the humour made possible by that is what attracted me to it. I just thought that was a great conceit, to be able to bring something totally antithetical over to this side of the world and into the bright sunshine and the beautiful scenery.
So is it kind of British humour or Aussie humour or a blend of the two?
David: That’s a good question. I think British humour and Aussie humour are quite similar, actually. I think there’s a quite an affinity between our people.
Damon: I agree. I mean, it’s also a universal humour. It’s got a lot of gags in it that I think are going to work all around the world.
Damon, tell us about the character you play. What mischief did he get up to in the series?
Gaines doesn’t really get up too much mischief because mischief is what he’s trying to stamp out! He doesn’t like mischief. Gaines is a very by the book law man, who basically wants everybody to follow the rules, the laws of the land. He’s very strait-laced. He’s very God-fearing.
David, is this your first Australian production? And did you enjoy filming over here?
I’m afraid it isn’t my first Australian production. Many years ago, I did a film called “The Island of Dr. Moreau”, which if you’ve not heard of it, just google it and you’ll see it’s one of the most famously disastrous shoots in the history of Hollywood. I was there every single day of it, and I had the most awful five months of my life here in your lovely country. That was up in far north Queensland.
I came back in and I’ve had the exact opposite experience this time around. Just the most wonderful, wonderful time, so Australia has redeemed itself. I’m going to say that the reason that [“The Island of Dr. Moreau”] was so disastrous was not the fault of Australia, the fault of Australian people, the crew, it was mainly the the Americans involved.
Fagin is already such an iconic literary character. Was it challenging finding new angles and depths in your portrayal of him?
David: That was the big appeal of it really. That was done really for me by the writers, because it’s all there on the page. And he’s a much more sympathetic character, he’s more comical. It was such good fun to play for that reason. Like I say, less the bad guy than he is in the book or the films. More a bit of a rascal. My first rascal – I think we can say that but not my last. I’m looking to play more rascals in the future.
