“This isn’t history – they’re still living it, still waiting for justice, and I think it’s coming”: Eddie Marsan, Connor Swindells, Lauren Lyle, Simon Heath, Jonathan Lee, Michael Keillor and Adam Morane-Griffith on The Bombing of Pan Am 103
Shunning sensationalism in favour of forensic detail, the BBC’s new drama The Bombing of Pan Am 103 reconstructs one of the most devastating acts of terror in British history – the 1988 destruction of a transatlantic flight over Lockerbie, Scotland – with striking realism. At a post-screening Q&A hosted by the BBC, members of the cast and creative team discussed the series’ challenging genesis, the responsibilities of dramatising real trauma, and the enduring demand for justice.
For Eddie Marsan, who plays American investigator Tom Thurman, the role required subtlety. “What I always try to do is work out what the function of the character is within the writing – and then hide the function,” he explained. “I got Tom to give me his favourite music, tell me his academic history, his marriage, tell me about his own personal life; and my job is to fulfil the writing, but add a more complex and nuanced portrayal.”
His co-star Connor Swindells, portraying detective Ed McCusker, spoke of the “very real” nature of the man he was playing. “He kind of didn’t want to go off the phone – he told me his whole love story with June,” Swindells revealed. His understanding of the role was further enriched by conversations with McCusker’s now-adult daughters. “They had a whole different side to her; of how stressful it was having him go away, and what it did to their marriage,” he added, explaining that he thought June represented “the trauma on the ground”, since the male first responders could only confide in the women in their lives.
Writer and creator Jonathan Lee emphasised the collective over the individual. “A lot of people would like it to be the story of this one super cop who solved everything – but that’s not really what the story was,” he said. Lee recalled a powerful image shared with him by executive producer Adam Morane-Griffiths – the aircraft wreckage suspended in a warehouse in Longtown, laid out to help determine the bomb’s location. “There was something about all those puzzle pieces kind of hung up there that spoke to the story, and a mosaic kind of approach seemed appropriate.”
Revealing that they were only in the town for a few days to film a handful of key scenes, director Michael Keillor reflected on the sensitivities of shooting at the real crash sites and engaging with Lockerbie’s residents. “That was always front of mind,” he said. “We were very mindful of where we were shooting – Julia Stannard, our producer, held a town hall and met people in Lockerbie.”
The series uses archive footage sparingly but to powerful effect – something Keillor hadn’t fully anticipated until the editing stage. “It was very emotive – seeing the people on the screen and in the images, complementing what we were doing,” he recalled. With scenes unfolding in both Scotland and the United States, the inclusion of American broadcast material provided a vital counterbalance to the larger picture. “Rather than telling the story, it was part of it,” he added. “This isn’t history – they’re still living it, still waiting for justice, and I think it’s coming.”
Keillor also pointed to the future: the trial of the alleged bombmaker, arrested in the US while the show was in production, is set for the end of the year. But for now, The Bombing of Pan Am 103 stands as a testament not only to those who died, but to those still working to piece together the wreckage.
Christina Yang
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is released on BBC iPlayer on 18th May 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Bombing of Pan Am 103 here:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
RSS