Steven Knight (creator, writer and executive producer)

We left off in series three with Tommy effectively turning key members of the family in to the authorities. What are Tommy’s challenges this series?

We find Tommy and the family in a difficult position as we open on series four. They are at their lowest ebb but there is a resolution to Tommy’s actions, which saw Polly, Arthur, John and Michael being taken away by the authorities. Tommy’s challenge this time is to keep the family alive. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. They’re facing an enemy that is more lethal than any enemies they’ve faced so far and it’s going to take every ounce of ingenuity, strength and guile to keep everybody alive.

What events bring Tommy and the family back together in Small Heath?

When Tommy receives a mysterious letter on Christmas Eve he realises that the family are in danger of annihilation. Tommy’s thought process is that in order to survive, they need to be together in a place that is safe so he leaves his country house behind and returns to the streets of Birmingham where a desperate fight for survival plays out.

Who is Luca Changretta and what does he represent?

Luca Changretta represents the ghost of Christmas past. He’s seeking vengeance for the killing of his father in series three. It transpires that Luca has gone to the States and made a name for himself. He’s quite an influential figure in the New York mafia and has decided to take revenge for his father’s murder. That’s the main threat that faces the family this year and he’s played beautifully by Adrien Brody.

Peaky Blinders obviously attracts an incredible cast, what are some of the key new characters this year?

We have Aidan Gillen joining us this year. He plays Aberama Gold, the nuclear option for the family. He’s the guy you bring out when you need a job doing. Tommy needs to add that extra bit of muscle to the Peaky ranks when he comes up against Luca Changretta and his gang. I wrote the character of Luca with Adrien Brody in mind because he has that dark presence about him which really encapsulates the level of threat that the Peaky Blinders are facing. We also have Charlie Murphy playing the part of Jessie Eden, a person who really existed in history. Eden was the trade union leader in Birmingham in the 1920s. I’ve invented a fictional tangent to her real biography in order for her to interact with our characters in the story.

How important was it to have the real life figure of Eden in the series?

I like delving into the period to find people rather than events of that time so that I can track their lives. If you take real people and their lives, you find the chaos and the history. Historians tend to order history too much. Jessie Eden was such a remarkable character so I thought it was really worth bringing her back to life.

What is the Black-Hand mark and how does it appear in the world of Peaky Blinders?

The Black-Hand was a symbol that dates back to Sicily and was delivered by the mafia as a symbol to say ‘we’re going to kill you’. It’s almost part of an honour system to let the victims know in advance that they are going to be killed.

Can you set the stage for what was going on in UK politics at the time this series is set?

Series four is set at the start of 1926 when the threat of the general strike was in the air. For a period before and during this time there was a fear amongst the British establishment that there would be a revolution similar to what had happened in Russia. A lot of soldiers were returning from war without work and there was a genuine fear that there would be insurrection. With soldiers assigned to man the streets it was a time of uncertainty and the events of this series take place whilst that is all happening.

How are we first reintroduced to Polly in series four?

Polly is at a real turning point when we see her at the start of the series. She has suffered a lot of hardships and grief. In the opening moments we see her facing death. When she’s reprieved it’s almost as if everything that follows, her entire future existence, is a bonus. The rules no longer apply. Polly realises that she is mentally in a similar place to how Tommy, Arthur and John returned from the trenches. Polly has escaped death only to live her life as if every day is the last.

Between series three and four Ada has been fronting the Shelby Company in America. How does her return to Small Heath create a stir in 1920s Birmingham?

Ada does create a stir on her return as an empowered woman of the twenties. She’s danced the Charleston; she has tasted the power of running a company and has developed a New York sensibility about her. This gives Ada a different outlook on life. However, the minute she arrives back home Ada is thrown back into a life or death situation. She has to call upon the skills she has learnt as a child growing up in the streets of Birmingham in order to survive.

Aberama and Bonnie Gold are brought in to add a bit of muscle to the Peaky ranks. Does Tommy fully trust them or are they a necessary evil to ensure the Peaky Blinders survival?

Aberama (played by Aidan Gillen) and his son Bonnie (played by Jack Rowan), join the world of the Peaky Blinders because Tommy needs muscle and strength around the family for protection. I don’t think trust is a part of the equation. It’s all to do with money and honouring the agreement that is struck between them. We learn that the Gold and Shelby families fell out a while ago so there is an unspoken tension surrounding their arrival. But Aberama and Bonnie are brought in to serve a purpose, to protect the survival of the Peaky Blinders and the Shelby family.

Are there any themes that shine out in this series?

There has always been a boxing theme throughout the series so I thought I’d bring this a little more to the forefront in series four. In the 1920s there would have been many boxing gyms in England and amongst gypsies, there has always been a tradition of bare-knuckle fighting. I wanted to use the boxing theme to express the return to basics that is mirrored in Tommy’s plans for the family.

Tom Hardy returns as Alfie Solomons. Why does Tommy still do business with Alfie? Is he a necessary evil?

Tommy has never trusted Alfie and he never will nor should anyone. I’ve always thought that even Alfie doesn’t trust Alfie. Their relationship is based on pragmatism. When they can help each other, they do. When they can harm each other, they do. In between that they amuse each other because they’re alike in many ways. It’s great to have Tom back - Alfie is such a hit with the fans.

Tommy expands the Shelby empire in series four; why does he feel the need to do this?

In series two, Tommy entered the world of bootlegging. The prediction was that he would move west to America but things didn’t go his way. So he is stuck in Small Heath for a period of time and because Tommy is a restless person, he decides to start making gin. Gin had become popular in America, a favourite of women who had started to go out and drink in bars in New York and Boston. Tommy has spotted a hole in the market and starts his own gin distillery. In order to refine the gin, he goes to the expert bootlegger, Alfie Solomons.

What has happened to Linda and Arthur’s relationship?

I wanted to make Linda’s progression in the series unexpected. When we first met her, we felt that she was reforming Arthur and that he was going to be taken down the straight and narrow. With all those plans destroyed at the end of series three, what we find in series four is the complete opposite. Linda is starting to enjoy the life of a Shelby and some of the sin that goes along with it. Whilst maintaining an exterior of religious propriety, we realise after a while what’s really going on.

What moments are you particularly excited about seeing unfold when the series airs?

I’m excited about the opening scene in the prison and where we find all the cast in their new lives. Also you may find a few shoot-outs and gun battles unfold, they are great because this is a much more heavily armed series than the last one. I think that the relationship between Polly and Tommy and how their dynamic is changing will also be really interesting for the audience to see.

The characters return to Charlie’s Yard, what does this location mean to you?

Charlie’s Yard is the home of Peaky Blinders and always has been. The whole thing began in my mind as a result of stories told to me by my mum and particularly my dad. They used to take me to this place called Charlie Strong’s Yard, which was very similar to the one in the show. It was full of things that used to have been “found before they were lost” as Charlie used to say. The whole series began as a result of my visiting places like this.

There’s a lot of Peaky Blinders fan art out there. How does this make you feel? What have been some of the more spectacular pieces of art that you have seen?

I find all the Peaky fan art mind-blowing. I’m really flattered and honoured on behalf of the series that people put their skill and expertise into creating some wonderful pieces of art. I love seeing the street graffiti and some of the tattoos people have gotten are unbelievable. I saw someone had painted their truck with the Shelby family all over it. It’s just exciting that Peaky has got a real army of followers who are very loyal to the series.