Bring The Drama cast: Meet the actors in the new BBC series

"It's not the same as some of the other big talent shows," Hendry said ahead of the show's launch. "We don't show you the huge selection process. We only focus on the group of people who we think have a shot at doing well."

Each episode will focus on something different, and the actors will be invited onto the sets of well-known UK dramas including EastEnders, Peaky Blinders and Silent Witness, where they will get the chance to recreate iconic scenes.

But who are the aspiring actors taking part? RadioTimes.com has an exclusive preview of the cast of Bring The Drama – read on to find out more about them!

Bring The Drama cast

Delasi Zikpi

Age: 27

From: Ladbroke Grove, London

Delasi is a cab driver from London whose drama lessons in school allowed him to "release and embrace freedom".

After having a passion for drama at school and taking the subject at GCSE and A Level, Delasi felt pressure to get a "proper job" and decided to attend university to study law and psychology. However, he chose to quit his studies to focus on a career in acting.

Now working as a taxi driver, Delasi has flexibility to attend auditions and drama classes, as well as getting the chance to practice his accents by mimicking his passengers.

Delasi's dream role is Black Panther, noting that he loves Marvel and Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of T'Challa.

"[I] hope that I would be able to do the role justice," Delasi said. "Now I need to get on the radar of Sarah Finn. Hopefully this is the first step!"

George Heron

Age: 62

From: County Durham

Growing up, George was a quiet child in school and although he enjoyed performing, he struggled with academia, with teachers saying he was a "waste of space and wouldn't amount to anything".

After he left school, George joined the Royal Navy and he suddenly began doing impressions and voices to entertain his colleagues. From then on, he organised, wrote and produced the troops 'Sods Opera' – a skit-based cabaret and improv show.

Now a retired police officer, George feels there is a real lack of opportunities for adults to pursue acting even as a hobby in the North East.

After growing frustrated, George set up a club with his friends but has never had an acting lesson in his life – only what he has found online.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of his appearance on Bring Tahe Drama, George said: "You know, when you're a kid, you dress up as a cowboy, you dress up as a spaceman, you dress up as a soldier. Try doing that when you're 61, people are gonna look at you rather strangely, aren't they?

"But if you turn around and say you're an actor, 'oh, it's okay. He's an actor'. You can get away with it. So I think that's what drives me."

George applied for Bring the Drama because he wanted to show his skills and prove to himself that he can be an actor. He explained that it is something he has "always believed" but never had the chance to explore.

Janice Sampson

Age: 67

From: Sheffield

Acting was never on Janice's radar growing up and in adulthood it was even further from her mind as she had to focus on raising her family.

However things soon changed when her youngest started school, leaving her with more free time which she used to embark on a writing journey, which led to script writing and discovering a joy for acting, joining a local amateur dramatic group and then being involved with more drama groups.

Reflecting on her time filming the series, Janice said it was "brilliant". "[It was] a massive learning curve, so many memories and a bunch of truly wonderful people to experience it with," she explained.

One of Janice's dream roles is to be in Doctor Who, or on a soap, comedy, crime drama or even Loose Women!

Jordan Skelly

Age: 27

From: Manchester

Jordan grew up in Manchester with their mother and father and it was performance that gave them an avenue to express themselves. Since leaving school, Jordan has spent the past 10 years working in cafes and bars, performing poetry on the side.

Despite contemplating attending drama school, Jordan suffered low self-esteem and imposter syndrome growing up. They attempted to attend university, but with family unable to help with the finance, Jordan worked full time, but it all became too much and they left the course.

Jordan describes themselves as "a storyteller". They said: "My main art form is poetry, however I make multi-disciplinary theatre, and acting is another element of my desire to share stories with the world.

"I love live performance, most of my work is generally performed in a live capacity but Bring The Drama has opened the doors of TV and that’s a very exciting avenue to explore."

Lizzie Alabi

Age: 26

From: Elephant and Castle, London

Lizzie studied finance and accounting at university and it was while studying where she discovered acting and something clicked.

The aspiring actors get the chance to work with Bill Bailey in the series, something Lizzie "couldn't believe" when she walked into the room.

"I was gob smacked," she said. "I had gone from seeing him on my screen to him knowing my name standing in front of me. I couldn’t believe it, but Bill is one of the nicest people ever.

"He was so funny and so supportive to every one of us. He joined in where he could and affirmed us positively throughout the process."

Rehanna Bernard

Age: 47

From: Bristol – now lives in West London

Rehanna discovered her love for the arts in her late teens but thinking it wasn't a 'proper career' she pursued a career in child and social care. In her 20s, she enjoyed being part of her Church theatre group, but since hasn't thought about acting as a career until her life changes caused her to re-evaluate.

Six years ago, Rehanna lost sight in one eye due to retinopathy, coupled with a gradual deterioration of vision in the other. This period prompted Rehanna to undergo a reassessment of her life and contemplate the path she wished to lead.

A standout moment from filming Bring The Drama was when she realised how "amazing" her fellow actor were in helping her to shine.

She said: "I don't want to give too much away but every one of them played an amazing part in my own personal journey on the show, and I can't wait for the world to see it."

Chris Flynn

Age: 23

From: Warrington

After encouragement from his sister to explore acting at an inclusive part time drama course, Chris found his acting stride and has grown in confidence.

Chris longs to see the deaf community better represented in drama and has ideas for deaf characters in some of his favourite TV shows such as Peaky Blinders.

Ahead of his appearance on Bring the Drama, Chris said: "I love acting because this is my dream, it's my passion. And this is what I really want for a career, for long term. It's really important to me as a deaf person to use my eyes and focus on giving physical expression."

Chris has "learnt so much" from Bring the Drama, noting that his biggest takeaway from the show was being on the set of Peaky Blinders and being taught various stunts.

"It was the best day of my life being on the set of one of my favourite shows," Chris said,

Luca Gittens

Age: 24

From: Runcorn, Cheshire – currently living in London

Luca's love for acting was sparked during her early childhood and her journey towards pursuing her dream as an actress began with the simple joy of performing shows with her mum at home.

At 18 years old, Luca set out for London, armed with her headshot and unbelieving determination to conquer the world of acting. In 2022, Luca was offered an acting scholarship at a drama school in New York but couldn't attend due to the cost of living.

Luca described her time on Bring The Drama as "a complete dream come true".

"I was just so grateful for the opportunity," she said. "Each week, I could see real growth as I was learning new things about myself and my craft. At times, it was challenging – learning scripts and preparing for roles with such short notice.

"We were really thrown into the deep end, but by the end of week 5, I felt we were all beginning to learn how to swim."

Bring The Drama will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.

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