Jack Thorne: “I was allergic to moving - the doctor said, ‘This might be forever.’”

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

Global

Society & Culture

4.6 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Growing up in Bristol, acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne was a shy, politically driven kid who believed he could change the world- first through politics, then acting, before discovering that storytelling was where his voice truly belonged.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the Emmy and BAFTA-winning creator of This Is England, His Dark Materials, Harry Potter And The Cursed Child and Adolescence to trace Jack’s journey from a lonely teenager to one of the most prolific writers of his generation. They talk about ambition, failure, neurodiversity, and the years of illness that left Jack literally allergic to movement, and how that experience shaped his empathy, activism and craft.

This conversation reveals a writer driven not by fame, but by purpose- to make television and theatre more inclusive, more truthful, and more alive to the lives of those too often left out of the story.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Now time to thank our partner of this episode, RNIB, the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
0:06.8	It's hard to imagine how it would feel to suddenly lose your sight, not being able to see your family anymore,
0:12.4	navigate the world around you, or enjoy a simple pleasure such as reading a book.
0:16.5	For any of us, it would be truly devastating, which is why support from RNIB is invaluable.
0:23.2	And you can do your bit too. Throughout October, RNIB can help you make a will, free of charge, with their free will-writing services.
0:30.6	All they ask in return is for you to consider leaving them a gift, although there is no obligation to do so.
0:36.5	We all need a will, so this could be
0:38.5	the perfect time to make or update yours. To find out more about the free will writing service and
0:43.9	understand the difference a gift in your will could make to blind and partially cited people,
0:48.9	download the free will guide at rnib.org.org.uk slash lasting gift. That's rnib.org.org.org slash lasting gift.
1:00.5	Some days it feels like your to-do list just won't quit. When life gets hectic, let Halford's
1:07.6	take something off your plate. We're here when you need us.
1:13.9	With trusted experts ready to help you tick off MOTs,
1:16.5	servicing, tire fitting, and more.
1:18.9	So your car's ready for whatever's ahead.
1:20.0	So why put it off?
1:22.0	Get in touch or drop in today.
1:23.9	Book online at halfer's.com or give your local Halford's garage a call and we'll sort it.
1:27.5	So you can keep moving with confidence.
1:32.6	This is a Global Player Original Podcast.
1:42.8	Hello and welcome to full disclosure, a podcast. A podcast project conceived entirely to let me spend more time with interesting people than I would ever get on the radio.
1:51.7	Jack Thorne, welcome.
	...

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