A UK wide talent search through MonologueSlam UK saw 10 actors selected to be championed by Channel 4 Drama.
The MonologueSlam UK showcase gives actors across the country the chance to perform in front of a panel of industry judges, including the Channel 4 Drama commissioning team. The most promising talent from 2016 were invited to the national final on December 12th where Channel 4 selected their top 10. They have committed to explore ways to champion the winning actors’ careers with Channel 4 Drama.
The ten selected actors are Hannah Margaret from Leeds, who was also crowned National MonologueSlam UK Champion 2016, Adaya Henry and Joanna Gay winners of the Birmingham heats, Frances Pooley the Leicester winner, Winston Sarpong, winner of the Essex MonologueSlam, and Connor Mills, Maia Watkins, Richard Rowe-McGhie, Debra Baker and Kayla Meikle from London.
Fraser Ayres, co-founder, TriForce Creative Network, said; “We are very excited with Channel 4’s commitment to this fantastic group of actors. We’ve seen them develop through the MonologueSlam UK initiative over 2016 and we know they’re ready for this opportunity. We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with Channel 4 in 2017.”
Ramy El-Bergamy, Channel 4 On Screen Diversity Executive, says; “We’re incredibly excited about the 10 actors we’ve selected through this year’s MonologueSlam UK programme. The standard was incredibly high at the final, and with access to talent from all over the UK, we’ve been able to select a diverse pool of new talent that we will champion in Channel 4 Drama over the coming year.”
MonologueSlam UK is a nationwide, professional actors’ showcase culminating in a national final in December at Theatre Royal Stratford East. It is the only showcase supported by Spotlight and Equity, and is open to all. After a rigorous audition process for each show, 22 actors are given the opportunity to perform in front of a select audience including the industry panel. The overall winner of each regional heat throughout the year then goes on to perform at the national final in December, where the champion is crowned. Maintaining that it should always be free for actors to perform, TriForce has produced a hugely accessible event for all performers, with an ethos of inclusion. The regional heats start again on 27th February 2017 with the first London heat at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Previous talent uncovered by the event includes Chizzy Akudolu who went on to star in Holby City as well as Sorry, I Didn’t Know, the comedy panel show produced by TriForce Productions which takes viewers on a tour of black history across the globe.
Congratulations to all of the actors!
