Fans are invited to mark the start of a new term for BBC drama Waterloo Road, for the first time in almost eight years, with a red carpet premiere of the show in Stockport on Wednesday 30th November.
The cast of the drama, including Angela Griffin, Kym Marsh, Adam Thomas and Katie Griffiths, will hit the red carpet at Stockport’s Light Cinema. The premiere of the new series first episode, which will hit BBC One and iPlayer in early 2023, will be followed by a Q&A with the cast.
This event is taking place in Stockport to celebrate the fact that the show is now completely set and filmed in Greater Manchester, with North West talent responsible for the production both on and off screen. The show initially filmed in Rochdale during its first run from 2006-2015, although it decamped to Greenock in Scotland for the last four of its 11 original series. It was one of the UK’s most popular and longest-running TV dramas, with an impressive alumni of dynamic characters and award-winning storylines.
Following the announcement of the show’s revival last year, production is now firmly back where it belongs in Greater Manchester, with the return of iconic characters such as Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin), Donte Charles (Adam Thomas) and Chlo Charles (Katie Griffiths) plus an array of new characters, played by Kym Marsh (Coronation Street, The Syndicate, Morning Live), Jo Coffey (EastEnders, The Witcher: Blood Origin), Vincent Jerome (Wonder Woman 1984, Transformers: The Last Knight) and many more.
The new series of Waterloo Road is produced by award-winning Wall To Wall (The Windermere Children, Man In Room 301, New Tricks) in co-production with Rope Ladder Fiction, the new Manchester-based label from Cameron Roach, who executive produced the previous series of Waterloo Road in both Rochdale and Greenock.
Waterloo Road’s move to film in the North West underlines the BBC’s commitment to make more programmes across the UK, boosting drama production skills in the North of England and helping to reshape BBC Drama to better reflect and serve all parts of the country.
This included the BBC establishing a production trainee scheme on Waterloo Road, in which new entrants to the industry from across Greater Manchester can hone their skills in a variety of production roles on set.
Jo McLellan, co-commissioning editor for BBC Drama, said: “We can’t think of a better way for to celebrate the series return to Greater Manchester, than by sharing it with our audiences in the region first.”
To apply for tickets to attend Waterloo Road’s red-carpet screening, visit the BBC Shows and Tours website.
