Bring The Drama: Crime

Bring The Drama: Crime, episode 2 in the new series, is on BBC Two and iPlayer Wednesday 21 February at 9pm.

The aspiring actors turn crimefighters on the set of hit drama Silent Witness. Who can cut it as forensic hotshot Dr Nikki Alexander? Coached by Silent Witness star Genesis Lynea, the amateurs need to master challenging medical language and bring a convincing air of authority to win actor of the week and get one step closer to bagging a place in the final showcase.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be seen by some of the UK’s leading casting directors and talent agents. The very best candidate will get the chance of representation with a top agent AND best of all, their big break… a role in a BBC drama.

TV drama is experiencing a golden age and the UK is at the epicentre of an explosion of shows of exceptional quality. This timely series gives exciting new talent the opportunity to learn about the industry, working with scripts and sets from some of our favourite British dramas, with the help of some of the country’s most successful TV talent.

The programme will use and celebrate British drama as a way of offering our unsung talent an introduction to the real world of screen acting. The series ends with a dramatic final showcase with the winner securing the chance of representation by a top agent and a role on screen in a BBC drama.

Clare Mottershead, BBC Commissioning Editor, Factual & Events, says: “British TV actors are among the best in the world, but there’s still plenty of undiscovered talent waiting for their big break. In this entertaining and revealing new competition, we’re scouring the UK to offer an incredible opportunity to aspiring performers, as we put them through their paces behind the scenes of some of Britain’s biggest and best loved dramas.”

Managing Director of Wall to Wall Media Leanne Klein says: “As a nation, TV drama is now the art form we consume more than any other, so it’s hugely exciting to be making a series that will take viewers behind the scenes of some of our favourite tv shows and unpack the essential skills of acting via the incredible expertise of leading lights in the industry. I hope it will be a gripping watch for all who love watching actors as well as those who’d love to act.”

Suzy Klein, Head of Commissioning, Arts & Classical Music, says: “This new competition is about giving everyone the chance to break into a fearsomely competitive industry. Many people across the UK dream of becoming an actor, but few get the opportunities and training to do it.

“Bring The Drama promises to take them on the ride of a lifetime, giving them the skills and experience that they could only get in a prestigious acting school. And with a major real-world campaign of access into the wider film, TV and theatre industries running alongside the TV series, we hope to support the pipeline of world-beating talent that makes the UK one of the most creative places in the world.”

To complement the series, the BBC will curate a Bring The Drama Festival, showcasing the acting profession and encouraging behind the scenes access to other careers in the creative industries. The BBC will work with cultural organisations across the UK to promote and showcase the diverse range of opportunities in the sector and accelerate a talent pipeline which will enrich the creative landscape in the years to come.