New BBC adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel great expectations has strong anti-colonial overtones.
Written by the creator of the hit TV series Peaky BlindersStephen Knight, the famous story will feature a new twist.
One scene depicts the criminal Magwitch, one of the main characters, describing the British Empire as having been “built on the lies of privileged white men”, according to The Telegraph.
When asked if he thought the new adaptation would hurt the feelings of traditionalists, Knight replied, “Everyone has the right to react as they wish.”
“But I would say the book exists, it’s still there. This is not an attempt to say that the book is wrong or that it is better.
Knight would also aim to remove the rigidity associated with Victorian Britain. Actor Ffion Whitehead, who plays the orphan Pip, the novel’s central character, hopes the BBC’s interpretation will make the novel “more accessible to younger people”.
“The Empire was a horrible thing that involved many Britons going out and enslaving, plundering and destroying many cultures around the world,” he said.
“It was fueled by greed. If there’s anyone walking around believing the Empire was a good thing, they’re kidding themselves.