Nearly ten years ago the face of Birmingham changed. Radically. The city of Spaghetti Junction and everybody’s least favourite accent suddenly acquired a reputation for stylish tailoring, sharp haircuts and more than a touch of gangster glamour.
It was all down to Peaky Blinders, the creation of local boy Steven Knight, a brutal “Brummie mafia” saga that captured the nation’s imagination – and which draws to a close this month with the start of its sixth and final season. Fans have been in suspense for two years since season five’s cliffhanger but, at long last, they can find out what the future holds for the Shelby clan and everybody involved with them.
Freda Cooper sat down with Steven Knight and Harry Kirton to find out what to expect from the Blinders’ final outing, and, although Knight wouldn’t confirm Stephen Graham’s role in season six, he did reveal that the actor would be sticking to his native Liverpudlian accent. He also looked forward to the much-anticipated feature film, which goes into production next year, and talked about its World War II setting.
Fellow Brummie Harry Kirton, who plays Finn, the youngest of the Shelby brothers, considered how his character would react to the idea of military service in the film, as well as talking about saying goodbye to a show which has been part of his life for the past eight years.
Scott Davis spoke to Sophie Rundle about playing Ada Shelby/Thorne for six seasons, the journey of Ada and how she has evolved in amongst all of the Shelby “madness”, how it has helped her grow as an actor, and helped her settle into working alongside George Clooney, amongst other Hollywood heavyweights…
Season six of Peaky Blinders arrives on BBC One on 27 February.