Waterloo Road has been the starting point for countless stars over the years, from Jodie Comer to Jenna Coleman – and the future is certainly looking bright for its current cohort.
The show has tackled some hard-hitting stories during its time on air, bringing important issues to the attention of its young audience.
The handling of these stories lies in the young but capable hands of its actors, who work hard to give a realistic portrayal of topical issues from eating disorders to teen pregnancy.
But what is it like to be a young cast member in a continuing drama?
We sat down with some of Waterloo Road’s current students to discuss their experience being on set, landing their roles and their hopes for the future of their characters and beyond.
Danny Murphy – Luca Smith
The role of Luca Smith feels ‘important’ to young actor Danny Murphy, as, like Danny himself, Luca is deaf.
The role has proved challenging at points for the actor, though he is keen to provide realistic representation for the deaf community, while showing that there is more to Luca’s character than just being deaf.
What has been your favourite story to play on the show so far?
Definitely my first episode because it highlights Luca’s struggles in mainstream school in a very realistic way. It’s something many deaf people go through, so it meant a lot to bring that to the screen. That episode was written by Charlie Swinbourne, a deaf writer, and I was so impressed by how authentic it felt.
But there’s a big twist coming in Luca’s story that I didn’t expect—it’s going to be an emotional rollercoaster, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it!
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced playing Luca?
The hardest part has been revisiting my own experiences in mainstream school. Some of Luca’s struggles hit close to home, which made it emotionally challenging at times. But that also made it feel even more real and meaningful to portray.
If you could have any storyline, what would it be?
I’d love to explore more of Luca’s struggles, but at the same time, I don’t want Luca’s story to just revolve around being deaf—he’s a layered character with a rebellious side, and I think it would be fun to show how he sometimes takes advantage of situations.
That said, his upcoming storyline is something no one will see coming, and I’m beyond excited for everyone to watch it!
Hattie Dynevor – Libby Guthrie
Libby Guthrie made quite an impact after her first appearance in series 13 as teacher Neil Guthrie’s (Neil Fitzmaurice) daughter and has quickly become a fan-favourite.
Her most recent storyline, a harrowing coercive control plot, has been quite the challenge for Hattie Dynevor, who hails from a family of successful actors, including Waterloo Road alumni Phoebe Dynevor – Hattie’s sister.
What was the biggest challenge you faced playing the coercive control storyline?
It was a very intense storyline but also a very important storyline. Going in to work all day and shouting, going to those dark places every day for such long periods of time was really hard, and then it was so hard to unwind from at the end of the day.
Did you always know you wanted to be an actor?
I think so. I loved acting at school and I think that really solidified that I’d do it. I grew up around it and I’m from a family full of it and it was all of our passions, really.
Were your family pleased to see you following in their footsteps?
I think so. I think they always knew from me being a young age that I would.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned during your time on Waterloo Road?
When I heard that me and Matt Khan would be doing the [coercive control] storyline I thought, ‘I know everything about that.’ Then I went into the research and found out there was so much I didn’t know. It’s a topic that has so many layers and is so different for everyone.
Miya Ocego – Lois Taylor-Brown
Miya Ocego was at the centre of an emotional episode in series 15 which saw character Lois Taylor-Brown lose her grandmother to dementia.
Miya revealed how thrilled she is to be able to represent the trans community on screen, and how she hopes to see more of Lois’ troublemaking side in future.
What appealed to you most about playing Lois?
I was aware that she was a trans character from the get-go, they said they wanted to address Lois’ gender identity. I jumped at that because I think it’s great to bring representation, especially with a programme like Waterloo Road.
How did you find doing the scene where Lois speaks about her grandmother in front of the school?
That was when I was most vulnerable because although I’m portraying this character I also saw a lot of myself in her as well. That was once me at some point, I was Lois’s age transitioning through school. It kind of healed an inner child within me, bringing that kind of scene on screen.
What would be your dream storyline?
It would be amazing to show Lois’s cheeky side more because I feel she’s been very well-behaved. You see elements of attitude in her and she gets away with it but it would be definitely fun to explore that side more and maybe get into trouble with Stace Neville and Aleena Qureshi.
'We’re simply trying to exist, just like everybody else'
Lois’ episode, focused on the loss of her grandmother, dealt with the themes of love, family and loss and actress Miya refuses to let negative backlash and comments on her character detract from the importance of trans representation in Waterloo Road and across TV as a whole.
‘I think as trans people it kind of comes as a norm, which is sad to say, but I was expecting some sort of negative response to the story – but that just makes these stories even more important and shows how resilient and strong the trans community is to be able to be faced with that dehumanising response and just stand up there and be yourself.’
Explaining that she had ‘amazing’ people around her during her own transition, Miya is clearly passionate towards the opportunity to give a voice to the community so, when claims that ‘Waterloo Road has gone woke’ came about after her episode dropped on iPlayer, it only served to make her more determined.
‘It definitely does light a fire inside you,’ she said. ‘It pushes us more as people, we strive to be better than those individuals who are tearing us down.
‘Waterloo Road has always been “woke”. The storylines from season one were even more “woke” than what we’re seeing today. At the end of the day we are human, we are people just like everybody else.
‘I’ve had so many amazing, supportive messages and that just makes all the negative ones so worth it. I’ve forgotten about them because for every 100 negative comments I’ve received, to just get one positive one, it’s the reason I do what I do.
‘This is for any young trans people watching, just to see an element of them in the character and bring a sense of validation to them. I never had that growing up, so to be that someone for a trans individual means everything to me.’
She added: ‘It is exhausting to be trans in today’s society. We as trans people are forced to defend our existence and our dignity in a world that should simply let us live safely and authentically, because that’s all we’re trying to do at the end of the day.
‘We are subject to so much abuse for no reason at all. We make up less than one percent of the world’s population and we have to fight for our right to exist. I want to say that I stand with the trans community and will continue to fight for our rights until the day I die.’
Summer Bird – Tonya Walters
Having appeared in Waterloo Road since the show was rebooted for series 11, Summer Bird has practically grown up on the set.
The past few series have seen character Tonya Walters struggle to get a diagnosis of endometriosis, a storyline that Summer feels ‘really privileged’ to portray.
What has been the biggest challenge with the endometriosis storyline?
I kind of had impostor syndrome. I wanted it to look realistic, and I wanted young girls and older women to be able to relate to the storyline. But sometimes when I’m doing a scene I put myself under a lot of pressure.
The hardest thing was worrying if I was going to do the storyline enough justice.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since being in Waterloo Road?
Trust your instincts. You’re the person that knows the character best. Sometimes in a scene the script will be written and I’ll think Tonya wouldn’t really say that, and I’ll ask the director if I can change it. They’ll be very flexible.
If you could have any storyline for Tonya, what would it be?
Tonya has never caught a break. There’s always something happening. I just want a storyline where Tonya is happy with herself, she’s content with herself, doesn’t need a boyfriend. Just one scene, just a clip of Tonya being happy. I think that would make my day.
Thapelo Ray – Dwayne Jackson
Dwayne Jackson also first appeared in series 11, with actor Thapelo Ray taking on an emotional storyline that saw his character reunite with his birth mother after living in foster care.
Proud to have tackled such an important issue, Thapelo is keen to take on more powerful storylines.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced playing your character?
I think my biggest challenge has probably been speaking in an accent that isn’t my own. I’m not originally from Manchester and that is the heart and soul of the character and the show. So making sure that I could do that was super important to me.
What has been your favourite story to play on the show so far?
I did a storyline about running away from my foster family and later reuniting with my biological mother after living in care for years. I had to film some really devastating scenes.
As a care experienced person, it was really important to me that this was shown on television. It was really beautiful and cathartic for me to get to play this storyline about being in care as a teenager and all the rage, confusion or angst that comes with it as someone who has been through similar things.
I also received lots of messages from other kids in care saying that storyline really resonated with them, so being able to do that for others is all I can really ask for.
Waterloo Road producer Lindsay Williams says...
Producer Lindsay Williams is ‘proud to be part of the journey’ of the young actors coming through the show, and has praised them for the work they’ve done.
‘Waterloo Road has always been known for its incredibly talented young performers and we are constantly amazed by our current cast.
‘Whether it’s Summer Bird showing the pain and frustration of living with endometriosis, Danny Murphy capturing the loneliness of a deaf pupil in mainstream education or Miya Ocego portraying a beautiful story of identity and loss, we are so proud of the brilliant work they do.’
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt during your time on the show?
I could go on about all the professional technical things I learnt or etiquette on set but being apart of a show like this has made me see how important TV can be for people. It is a labour of love of accessible TV for British families to get real insights into the inner workings of the modern school system.
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It feels like there is always an emphasis on why we are telling the stories that we are telling and how we can truthfully shine a light on real experiences under the circumstances at Waterloo Road.
If you could have any storyline what would it be?
I would love to see my character have a mental health storyline. Noah Valentine did some really sad but beautiful work on highlighting eating disorders with Preston Walters’ storyline.
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I think now more than ever men’s mental health should have more media awareness. Especially for young boys, it’s super necessary to see that it can be very natural to become aware of and manage certain mental health conditions. Showing certain emotions in men is often seen as taboo or wrong so doing a storyline that might explore that would be really great.
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