Unwrapping the Victorian Thrills: Kit Harington Dives into “Lot No. 249”

In A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249, Kit Harington steps into the shoes of Abercrombie Smith, the quintessential Victorian gentleman trying to maintain order in the face of supernatural chaos. The actor gives us a glimpse into the eerie narrative crafted by the brilliant mind of Mark Gatiss, as he navigates the twists and turns of a tale where an Egyptian mummy unleashes terror upon an Oxford campus.

“On the surface, it’s a ripping old yarn about an Egyptian mummy terrorizing an Oxford campus! Freddie Fox releases a murderous zombie, and my character smells a rat and tries to stop him. But maybe once you release something like that… it can’t be put back in its box! It’s a really fun caper penned originally by Conan Doyle and made into a wonderfully scary and frightful Christmas ghost story by the marvelous Mark Gatiss.”

Describing his character, Harington notes, “He plays with a straight bat! Very proper. Doesn’t want anything disturbing his world order. Doesn’t trust anything that’s not out of the textbooks of the time… he’ll stick to his phrenology and be done with it, thank you very much!”

Reflecting on the collaborative process, Harington expresses, “A dream. I have loved Gatiss and his work for a long time, and I adore his series of Christmas ghost stories. Freddie is a great, kind, generous, and brilliant actor. It was rapid and fun and that was what Mark promised me. Let’s get in, shoot something fun and sit around at Christmas with mince pies and watch it. What a joy.”

Asked about his familiarity with Conan Doyle’s work beyond Sherlock, Harington admits, “No. Outside of Sherlock, I didn’t. This has all of the elements that we love in Sherlock though… the intrigue, the fantastical. I guess I take on the ‘Sherlock-like’ role in this piece…. but Smith is far too much of a box thinker to succeed in the ways Sherlock does. I really enjoyed the period and how unashamedly ‘Victorian’ we were encouraged to play the parts. I knew that there was great room for play in the role with Mark directing, and that was wonderfully liberating.”

Mark Gatiss applauds Harington’s embodiment of the Victorian gentleman, to which the actor remarks, “Mark clearly saw that I’m a closet Victorian man trapped in a millennial body. I loved these costumes; I loved the mustache…I’d definitely do something of this period again.”

Harington humorously pitches the Christmas special, saying, “I mean, what’s not to love? Egyptian killer mummy, Mark Gatiss directing and writing, Freddie Fox being evil, period costumes and silly mustaches. It’s nice and short and fun and will only give you minor nightmares!”

Discussing James Swanton’s transformation into the mummy, Harington reveals, “He was genuinely scary. When he ran, it was one of the more disturbing things I witnessed this year. We called him ‘mummy’ on set; it’s quite a Freudian piece, really.”

As “Lot No. 249” unwraps itself on screens this Christmas, Kit Harington’s insights promise a thrilling blend of Victorian charm, supernatural suspense, and the unmistakable touch of Mark Gatiss. Get ready for a festive journey into the eerie corridors of Old College, Oxford, where the past comes alive in ways that will linger beyond the holiday season.

A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No.249 is on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 24 December at 10pm.