Who is Finnian Jones? An Analysis of Lamplighter Theatre's Lead Character

Who is Finnian Jones?

Character Overview

Since the very first Lamplighter Theatre audio drama, John Rhys-Davies introduces us in each episode to a fellow named Finnian Jones. He is an inventor, a collector, and the owner of a shop called Finnian’s Antiques, Books, Coffees, Etcetera. Housed within this unique bookshop/antique store/cafe combination is a section Finnian calls the Exploratorium which is home to his vast library.

Finnian is very wise, something he credits largely to the many books he has read. They are character-building books, often meant to be read to children. Yet his influence and teaching goes beyond just the kids who wander into his shop. In fact, he counsels adults as often as kids. And often his advice is not just exemplified through a book. Much of it is the result of personal experience. Finnian Jones is a man who is much, much more than one sees at first glance.

Finnian's Family

We have learned that, in addition to Finnian having had a wife, he has two children as well. But we don't know where they are now, or even if they are still alive. We do know that whatever happened had a tremendous impact on Finnian and was certainly a large part of what made Finnian the wise fellow that he is. In the beginning of The Basket of Flowers we discover that Finnian's wife's name is April. In fact, Finnian is in a flower garden that is named after her. Could this be a memorial to her? In The Robber's Cave we learn that Finnian has a brother as well.

Not surprisingly, there is a reason that his wife has not appeared in any of the eighteen audio dramas so far. It was revealed by Mark Hamby (Executive Producer) and John Fornof (Writer/Producer) in a special web broadcast, that they are planning to produce an audio drama focused solely around Finnian and his family.

Personality, Characteristics & Quirks

Speculation of his backstory aside, Finnian seems to be a rather odd and eccentric fellow. He is lanky, wears a cap and does not use a cell phone; and of course he is amazingly intuitive, often able to deduct what sort of problems others are having. We know that he is well educated (whether he studied independently or went to school is rather irrelevant) and is always on the search for knowledge and truth - if he's not helping someone else do the same. He is a world traveler and must be moderately wealthy to be able to afford the seven-story building containing his shop and the Exploratorium.

Finnian is almost always a jovial fellow. But there are times when he shows his own brokenness and how, over the years, he has healed from it. We don't know how old Finnian is exactly, only that he can relate well to all ages and never talks down to kids. He has a very poetic, almost lyrical, way of speaking; often using alliteration or rhyme to reinforce the moral lessons he's teaching.

Character Inspiration

Another surprising fact about Finnian is that he is actually based upon people in the real world. One such person who inspired Finnian is referenced very subtly. Finnian said that he had an uncle who once said to him, "You will be the same person five years from now except for the people that you meet and the books that you read." This is a quotation from motivational speaker, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones. As you can see, Finnian and Charlie share the same last name and a very similar, inspirational personality. There are other real life people that Finnian has a basis from (as many other people who live in "Abington Falls" are as well), but the writers have not yet shared who they might be.

So when will we find out more about Finnian's family and Finnian himself? An audio drama focusing on those questions is coming soon, though we don't yet know when. But perhaps the most important question is this: Where will Finnian's story go next?

Do you have any theories about the character of Finnian Jones? Share them in the comments below!

Lamplighter Theatre has launched "Ask Finnian" which is a section of their website all about this character and it has a section where fans can submit questions for Finnian to respond to. To learn more about this series, check out our Lamplighter Theatre page.

Editor's Note: This article is a post by ATC contributor Robert Thacker. Robert loves all storytelling mediums; especially audio drama because it's so overlooked. He wrote the audio drama script titled "A Search for Truth," which was produced by the creators of Jonathan Park. You can check it out at ThackerPress.com.