Sally Wainwright tackles the Brontë sisters for BBC One

Sally Wainwright tackles the Brontë sisters for BBC One

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Thursday, 24th November 2016
Credit: BBC

Happy Valley writer Sally Wainwright is bringing a new period drama to the BBC in time for Christmas

To Walk Invisible takes a closer look at the extraordinary lives of the Brontë sisters, who overcame many obstacles, to rise from obscurity to producing some of the greatest novels in the English language.

Speaking at a recent RTS event, Sally Wainwright explained her interest in the characters. She told audiences how when she wrote the script, she wanted the characters to reflect real life. She complained that past retellings of the story have seen actors with sparkling teeth and RP accents, describing it as “offensive.”

“It was important for me to root the Brontë’s firmly in Yorkshire” she told the audience.

The one-off BBC One drama stars Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean), Chloe Pirrie, Finn Atkins, Charlie Murphy and Adam Nagaitis.

Wainwright said “I wanted it to feel as authentic as it could. It’s not a chocolate box world and I hope it does reflect the real world that they live in.”

The story spans three years, from 1845 to 1848 when their brother, Branwell, dies. “The story is really about these three women living with an alcoholic brother and how they start trying to publish,” Wainwright explained.

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Happy Valley writer Sally Wainwright is bringing a new period drama to the BBC in time for Christmas