It is the late eighteenth century and on both sides of the Atlantic the world seems filled with exciting and dangerous new possibilities for humanity. Chief among those lighting the fire is the English radical Thomas Paine, a man of great compassion, brutal honesty and a political writer of genius. Whether answering the call of an America chafing under the tyranny of the British Crown, or riding the storm of revolutionary France, Paine is at the heart of events.

The much loved and greatly respected writer Trevor Griffiths (Comedians, Reds) fills this moving story of the life and loves of the author of The Rights of Man with songs, music and the huge carnival spirit of a world turned upside down.