Éanna Hardwicke Talks A Woman of Stone, The BBC’s Christmas Ghost Story

You Don’t Know Jack

Éanna Hardwicke who plays Jack in the new BBC Christmas ghost story, A Woman Of Stone, and he spoke about the new drama…

Were you familiar with Mark Gatiss’ ghost stories for the BBC before you stepped into this one?

I was! Only as of last year as it happens. I saw the trailer for Lot No. 249 and thought that looks right up my street. I watched it with my brother on Christmas Eve and loved it.

Were you aware that E. Nesbit wrote horror stories and what did you make of Woman of Stone when you first read the script?

I have to hold my hands up here: I knew almost nothing about Edith Nesbit. When I was reading about her before shooting I discovered how prolific she was. She worked across just about every form you could imagine: novels, essays, short stories, children’s stories, ghost stories.

Talk us through Jack – who is he, how does he fit into the story and what did you find interesting about playing him?

He’s an aspiring artist, a bit of a dandy and not a good man. I was drawn to the fact that he is a bohemian type – and for whatever reason maybe you might be less likely to suspect someone like that of being abusive and controlling. He is a wolf in (sort of) sheep’s clothing. He has a charm, and a schtick which passes muster with some but which sharper eyes can see through. And behind closed doors he’s a different man altogether. So I thought it was a very truthful and strong choice in the writing.

How has it been working with Mark and the rest of the cast?

It’s great fun and a joy and very satisfying work. The dynamic comes from the top down and Mark creates a very playful, very joyful set. Many of the team who work on the Ghost Stories have done so for years now, so it’s a slick operation. And my scenes were with Phoebe, Mawaan and Monica who are such wonderful actors. Sadly I didn’t get to do anything with Celia, but it was lovely to cross paths.

And then wearing bowler hats and mutton chops is just good fun – so yes, it was a perfect week I think.

What do you think viewers will enjoy about this story?

It’s a proper ghost story – mysterious, chilling, truly frightening. I love ghost stories that land in that in-between space; we don’t know whether we believe or not, we don’t know if they’re of our own creation or inexplicably real. And then underneath the supernatural there are very real human monsters. So hopefully there are layers for an audience to unpack and be surprised by.

What makes ghost stories so fitting around Christmas time and do you have a favourite ghost story?

Something about the thin veil. The end of the year, winter, the colour of the whole season seems ripe for ghosts, as if at this time of the year we are more than usually close to the dead. My favourite Christmas ghost story – and I might be stretching the definition here – is Joyce’s The Dead. It captures that feeling perfectly. It’s tragic and wistful and mysterious and somehow soothing too. The John Huston film version of it is brilliant and an underappreciated Christmas film.

And then A Christmas Carol of course. I read it most years and it amazes me every year how utterly brilliant it is.