Channel 4 Drama & TriForce Support Emerging Acting Talent

LONDON: Ten actors have been selected through Channel 4 and TriForce Creative Network’s MonologueSlam UK initiative and will be championed by Channel 4 Drama.

The MonologueSlam UK showcase gives actors across the country a chance to perform in front of a panel of industry judges, including the Channel 4 Drama commissioning team. The most promising talent from 2016 was invited to the national final on December 12, and Channel 4 then selected the top ten. The companies 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.

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, a comedy panel show produced by TriForce Productions.

Fraser Ayres, co-founder of 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’s on-screen diversity executive, added: “We’re incredibly excited about the ten actors we’ve selected through this year’s MonologueSlam U.K. program. The standard was incredibly high at the final, and with access to talent from all over the U.K., we’ve been able to select a diverse pool of new talent that we will champion in Channel 4 Drama over the coming year.”