Richard Armitage is an award-winning stage, screen and voice actor best known for his leading role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit, as well as his roles in Captain America, North & South, The Crucible and the Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s The Stranger. 

In September he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss one of the most powerful forces in storytelling: suspense. Drawing from his new novel The Cut, Armitage discussed the mechanics of cultivating suspense, and its centrality to crafting compelling stories. Why is an ending no-one sees coming so rewarding? How does our desire for suspense appeal to our most curious instincts? And why are we so motivated to seek out the truth? By blending his best-selling fiction with his deep knowledge of the film industry, Armitage answered these questions and show us how a story can probe us to question the relationship between fiction and reality. 

The event was hosted by Mark Billingham.

Praise for The Cut:

‘Armitage has done it again … The Cut is a chilling, atmospheric thriller with characters you’ll never forget.’ – Harlan Coben