Jack Thorne

Writing is one of those jobs that everyone has an opinion on. I don't think this is a bad thing.

I think London is a bit sad, and I find it a bit overwhelming. There's a lot of quite unhappy people, and it's very goal-driven.

I am trying to write a play that is big and I feel represents me - that's my big ambition.

I'm a constant idiot in conversation - I always seem to sound either smug or stupid. Writing plays was a way of winning the conversation by controlling the conversation.

I tended to be the nerdy kid - stood at the back, watching other people having fun - I wasn't always necessarily a big part of the fun myself.

I can't do anything other than writing. I'm not very able, generally. If I'd not been a writer, I would probably be a very unsuccessful political adviser to someone or have worked for a council.

Obama said that his performance at bowling was so bad 'it was like the Special Olympics or something.' Disability, by Obama's definition, was about difference and failure.

It's not that I don't like other people - I do. I just don't like me.

I find small talk exhausting, and I don't like myself when I'm around people.

Hanging out with Pierce Brosnan on the set of 'A Long Way Down' was quite an extraordinary thing to do. The interesting thing is, he never behaves like a star. He's a really nice man.

The thing about having a very young audience in the theatre is that sometimes they laugh at the bullying scenes. It's really interesting, what that means. It still confuses me slightly, you know; someone's getting quite brutally bullied on stage and people are laughing. I think it's very hard being young.

I don't really write with actors in mind; I write with characters and then hope desperately that we can get good actors to play those parts.