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´óÏó´«Ã½ dramas have given many of the world’s most beloved actors their big break – and now a new competition series is giving aspiring actors a chance to follow in their footsteps.

In Bring the Drama, coming soon to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two and ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer, untapped acting talent from across the UK will be mentored over six weeks. These eight contestants will perform real scenes in the real sets from some of Britain’s favourite shows, including EastEnders, Peaky Blinders and Silent Witness.

Almost 2,000 amateur actors applied to Bring the Drama in an open casting call. Of these, eight candidates were chosen. Each of them has a passion for acting, but none has been to drama school or been able to break through into professional acting.

In the show, hosted by actor and comedian Bill Bailey, the actors will be mentored by casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry. An Emmy nominee for her work on Bridgerton, she has also cast shows like Gangs of London, Ghosts and Broadchurch. They will also receive advice from working actors like Silent Witness’ Genesis Lynea, Casualty’s Charles Venn and EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy.

This is all alongside the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Bring the Drama Festival, a series of films and events in February and March 2024 lifting the curtain of the careers that bring films, TV shows and theatrical productions to life.

The aspiring actors are currently working in jobs like cab drivers, baristas or civil servants. But who will be able to leave their job behind and follow their dreams of becoming an actor? Before we find out, let’s meet them.

Sporty Chris struggled in school, but found a passion for sports – first football and rugby, then golf.

Born deaf (he had a cochlear implant at the age of four), Chris' sister (who works as an actor) encouraged him to join an inclusive, part-time drama course in Manchester. He loved the experience, and wants to see the deaf community better represented on film and TV but has found himself unable to get a place in drama school.

Delasi found a passion for drama in school - and the subject gave him a release from his issues with concentration in the rest of his subjects.

He took weekend acting classes, but so far has been unable to afford the cost of making a showreel. Working as a London cabbie allows him the flexibility to attend auditions – and he says it gives him plenty of opportunity to practise accents by copying his passengers.

George's appreciation for acting came when he joined the Royal Navy. Doing impressions of his peers led to writing and producing shows to entertain his fellow troops.

Despite never having had an acting lesson, George has still found ways to explore acting. Not finding any opportunities for adults to act in the North East, he set up a local acting club after retiring from the police following 25 years of service.

Janice came to drama late in life. Once her youngest child started school, she used the extra free time to start writing scripts for her local amateur dramatics society.

This writing led to performing in her own work. When she’s not working at her local GP surgery once a week or enjoying her retirement, she is doing am-dram productions. Now, she is trying to go from amateur to professional, proving that age shouldn’t be a barrier to chasing your dreams.

Jordan (who uses they/them pronouns) got the acting bug in their GCSE drama classes. This led to a love of performance that saw them performing poetry at nights in Manchester.

They have had some experience of acting, starring in a short film and doing readings in local theatres, but low self-esteem and imposter syndrome held them back from going to drama school. After having left their university studies after everything became overwhelming, they are looking for a new direction.

Lizzie first thought about acting while watching Nigerian Nollywood films as a child. While studying finance and accounting at university, Lizzie found that she was becoming more and more interested in acting.

Leaving university before finishing her course, she has taken on a series of jobs to fund her acting ambitions. However, without an agent or a drama school degree she has struggled trying to break into the industry.

Luca loved acting since she was a child, when she would perform shows for her mum at home. This led to her taking drama at GCSE and A-Level.

She was offered a drama scholarship to study in New York in 2022, but the cost of living prevented her from taking it up. Raised by a super supportive dad and a mother who was often ill, she wants to make them both proud by making her dream of becoming an actor into a reality.

Six years ago, Rehanna lost sight in one eye, with the vision in the other starting to deteriorate.

This led to her totally reassessing her life, leading her back to the happy times she had had as part of a church theatre group in her twenties. She had put her interest in the arts on hold due to family pressures and taken on a series of jobs – experiences that she thinks give her a wealth of experience she can draw on as an actor.

Catch Bring the Drama on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two and ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer from Wednesday 14 February