The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

By Trevor O’Sullivan

An Irish costume designer has it all sewn-up when it comes to recreating the world of Charles Dickens’ Victorian London

Lorna Marie Mugan has been enlisted by ITV to reproduce the apparel of the Dickensian era for a new drama series.

But the Irish link doesn’t stop there. Even more bizarre is the fact that Dublin is the setting of the adaptation of the classic Dickens’ novel The Old Curiosity Shop.

And the production has also been funded by the Irish film board and contains a large Irish cast.

Costume designer Lorna who is currently halfway through production on the Dickens drama is finding it exceptionally rewarding.

She said: “It’s challenging but very creatively rewarding. Period drama is much more gratifying than contemporary drama because you get to recreate a time in history that is no longer with us.

“It involves lots of research of the Victorian period through paintings, through literature and the illustrations that Dickens had in his books.”

The 33-year-old from Fermanagh has enjoyed huge success since she graduated from the Wimbledon College of Art.

She was nominated twice in the 2004 Irish Film and Television Awards for her work on Inside I’m Dancing and Man About Dog.

And her work for ITV has been so successful that they have already snapped her up for their next major dramatic project.

She said: “I’m actually doing another ITV production called My Boy Jack which is about the life of Rudyard Kipling and his family. His son will be played by Daniel Radcliffe the Harry Potter star.”

Despite the unpredictability of working in movies, the often gruelling schedules and the fact that she can spend a lot of time away from home, Lorna loves the career she has chosen.

She said: “Working behind the scenes in movies is almost like the same process as being an actor. It’s a matter of luck as to the projects that come around. And also you have to really want to do it because there are long periods out of work as much as in work.

“You need to have a passion for it to survive. I love my job and in an ideal world you would love to choose all your projects but I have been really happy and lucky with the things that come our way.”