Adolescence: drama schools hit out at ‘stars from nowhere’ narrative

The drama teachers behind the young actors in the Netflix smash say their lack of recognition has caused wide upset'

Adolescence's stratospheric success has catapulted its young cast of unknown actors into the limelight. Reams of headlines have suggested that they have come from nowhere - yet the grassroots regional drama schools that trained them say this overlooks their hard work.

To find undiscovered talent for the show, Adolescence's casting director, Shaheen Baig, visited two northern drama schools that work with children from underrepresented and deprived communities.

Baig recently posted on Instagram that she wanted to give a special shoutout" to the Drama MOB and Articulate Drama School and Agency, because: There's not enough praise for drama teachers up and down the country doing great community work with very little financial support or recognition."

Yet other reporting of the show's breakout star, Owen Cooper, has emphasised the narrative that Owen had done nothing and came from nowhere'", as though he had been spotted on the street, says the Drama MOB co-founder Esther Morgan.