ONES TO WATCH

Making quality stuff happen is, and has always been, the way of the Workshop. Just this past summer, as part of the Sin Film Festival at Broadway Cinema, current students put together five separate, unique short films, which they wrote and starred in, covering a wide range of the seven deadly sins. From meta comedies to intense dramas, the skill on show in each production was truly impressive - making it easy to see why these self-made projects can catch the attention of casting directors across the country.

This do-it-yourself attitude means that people like Socha, who grew up miles away - both geographically and spiritually - from traditional drama schools, could craft a stellar career in an industry that so often feels out of reach. Even if that wasn’t the sole aim. “In a lot of traditional drama centres, there are people who just want their kids to be famous actors, but that wasn’t what drove me. I went to the Workshop because I loved it,” Socha says. “Growing up, the only option available to me was musical theatre, and in that field I wasn't really surrounded by people that were like me - I wasn’t a drama person with that sort of background. I felt out of place. Then I found the Workshop, where I could be surrounded by my people. I had a great time, and I’m still friends with so many grads I love flicking on the TV and seeing the likes of Jack O’Connell and Vicky just killing it.” thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk

Seeing Workshoppers killing it is something we can all look forward to for a long time to come. Over the next few months alone, Bella Ramsey will continue to team up with Hollywood superstar Pedro Pascal in stunning HBO series The Last of Us, Marcus Rutherford will extend his run as Perrin Aybara in the second season of Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time, and Tom Blyth will join the multi-billion dollar empire that is The Hunger Games. Across every genre, every type of project, Nottingham’s stars will continue to shine.

And, back here in Nottingham, it will remain a busy time for Rashley and the Workshop. The gang are still settling into their new digs on Cranbrook Street, which “is in a great area, right down near Confetti, who we’re doing a lot more work with at the moment”. Using their brand new self-tape studio - which is “crucial to us, because every time somebody has to audition with a tape, we can take them down there, with good lighting and good sound, and make sure the tape is as effective as it can be”the team are helping to sculpt the next generation of Sochas and McClures. And in a few months’ time, the current Workshoppers will once again get the chance to showcase their talent to a big room packed with people, as Rashley and her students put together another short film festival, this time offering up “a love letter to Nottingham”.

“We’ll be forty this year, which is insane, so we wanted to tie it to the city,” she explains. “We’ve always been supported by Nottingham, and have become almost a famous little part of the city, so to celebrate that, this year’s films will all be based on famous local stories and key bits of our history.” A key pillar of Nottingham culture shining a light on other key pillars of Nottingham culture? We can’t wait to see how it all works out.

Spike Fearn

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Lydia Page

Even in this early stage of her career, Lydia Page has already joined a household institution by bagging a role in The Larkins and shown her arthouse credentials in awardwinning indie Blue Jean - but she’s just getting started. With ITV shows and short films on the 2023 roster, expect Page’s prestige to keep growing.

Ewan Mitchell

Ewan Mitchell might have cropped up in global sensation House of the Dragon last year - cutting a frightening figure as a young Aemond Targaryen - but his greatest achievement so far has to be acting alongside the Sean Bean in World on Fire. I don’t know how you best the Bean, but we’re excited to see him try.

Safia Oakley-Green

Safia late last year. Need we say more? The star of The Origin and Sherwood is clearly on to big things, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. bus to work!!! Seriously, though, she’s destined for great things.

If you’re a regular Broadway-goer, or just a lover of indie films, you’ve most likely heard all about Aftersun - the emotive film that made not just one, but two members of the LeftLion team cry. A raw portrayal of fatherhood, childhood and mental health struggles, it’s a very special piece of art created by Charlotte Wells. But more than that, it’s also a showcase of Nottingham talent, with multiple actors from the Television Workshop present in the film. We catch up with talented young actor Ruby Thompson, who plays Laura in the award-winning release…

It’s not often a film is universally adored. Lauded by critics. Loved by audiences. Showered with accolades. Peppered with praise by everyone who helped put it together.

Yet Aftersun, Charlotte Wells’ phenomenally-crafted, deeply moving tale of one ten-year-old’s summer holiday with her father, has achieved this rare feat - and then some. It’s already picked up countless British Independent Film Awards and been named as Sight & Sound’s best film of 2022, and you wouldn’t bet against it sweeping up at next month’s Academy Awards. Put simply, it’s a masterpiece. And, most excitingly for us, it’s a masterpiece packed with Nottingham talent.

You see, Aftersun’s casting director Lucy Pardee (quite rightly) looked to graduates of the Television Workshop to make up a gang of young holiday-goers who play an important role in the story of Sophie, the lively lead played by debutante Frankie Corio. Among this group is Laura, a more mature role model for Sophie to look up to, with the pair forming a close, meaningful bond as the runtime progresses. And playing Laura is our own Ruby Thompson - who delivers a top performance in this magical movie.

Getting the chance to collaborate with more familiar faces was also a joy, she adds. For Thompson and fellow Workshoppers like Spike Fearn and Kieran Burton, Aftersun was not only a chance to contribute to a special project, but to do so together. As friends. In Turkey. For weeks on end. Not a bad gig, that. “It was like being on a little holiday,” Thompson laughs. “You’re with all these people that you really get on with. We had such chemistry, which is what they were looking for. You’re there to do a job, of course, but in your spare time you’re in Turkey. That was pretty magical.”

Working with Frankie Corio was also one of Thompson’s favourite aspects of the film, and much like co-star Paul Mescal (of BBC Three’s Normal People), she gave a beaming review of the young actress, who is currently only thirteen years old. “Frankie was phenomenal. She was so mature and was able to separate her character from herself,” a feat that is often difficult for young actors. “She played the role so well that you might think she’s just being herself in front of the camera, but it’s not like that at all,” Thompson continues. “She’s highly intelligent, she doesn’t miss a beat. Nothing goes over her head.”

As a viewer, it’s easy to agree that Corio’s effortless acting style really is something of a wonder, particularly in her scenes with Mescal, who plays a father struggling with depression. The chemistry between the two actors is profoundly affecting. However, there is also real beauty in the beats between Thompson and Corio, particularly when Laura shares a moment of kindness with Frankie, which temporarily provides respite from the character’s otherwise dark narrative.

“The way they casted it was really friendly, and the script was really beautiful,” says Thompson of joining the project. “Lucy is incredible. All the projects she’s worked on have been the same in that they have something special about them. So the fact that she was casting this meant I knew it was going to be great.”

If Thompson’s time in pre-production was beautiful, though, her time on set took things to a different level. Working with Wells - who, like Thompson, was experiencing feature films for the first time - “was a dream come true”, she explains. “Her language and the way she works with actors is really human, and the way she includes you means you always know what’s going on. You can see the vision that she wants for each scene. It’s incredible to watch how she works. What she produces is stunning.”

Stunning indeed. Like most who watch the film, Aftersun left its mark on Thompson when she saw the final product on the big screen. “It made me cry a lot,” she admits. “There’s a beauty to it in that it’s not forcing anything on you. It allows you to respond in a way that feels right to you. Every time I’ve watched it, I’ve responded differently, because it allows for that. Everyone did such a phenomenal job, from Charlotte to Greg [Oke], our cinematographer, to everyone working on the music. There’s so much heart and effort put into the film.” So touching is Wells’ debut, in fact, that it even made a certain cold-hearted LeftLion Editor shed a tear. That might be a greater achievement than picking up a BIFA.

“I was just focusing on how much I wanted to get it right,” Thompson muses. “There was a subtlety to doing that one small thing. To my character it’s nothing, but she can see where Sophie is at in her life. I just wanted to nail that sentiment.”

Moving to the audience, and to Thompson herself, the actor admits that the scene resonates with her personally. “Through my character you really feel like you’re thrown back into that teen era of your life, dealing with peers, boys, making friends, growing pains. That scene was an example of how impactful it can be when someone you look up to lets you in. When I was a kid and older kids would do that, it really made me feel seen.”

Overall, then, a glowing success for Ruby Thompson, who acts with great subtlety and emotion in Aftersun - adding a new dimension to protagonist Frankie’s story, one which celebrates the small kindnesses of adolescence and the impact a single moment can have. Likewise, this marks yet another roaring achievement for the Television Workshop; just one of many examples of the high calibre actors that Nottingham is producing. We can’t wait to see what comes next for Thompson and her fellow Workshoppers.

Aftersun is available to watch on MUBI