Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is looking for men who are bald or have a ‘skinhead’ hairstyle to star in his latest series, which is described as being a “love letter to Birmingham and Coventry.”
The new drama, titled This Town started filming in Wolverhampton last week, and follows “an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music, which exploded from the grassroots of Coventry and Birmingham in the late 70s and early 80s,” as per the BBC announcement.
It will be a 6-part series, and is set in 1981 at “a moment of huge social tensions and unrest,” the announcement continues.
“Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers.”
The highly anticipated show stars Levi Brown, Jordan Bolger, Ben Rose, and Eve Austin, who will be playing the leading parts, as well as award-winning actors such as Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery, The Last Kingdom’s David Dawson, and Marcella’s Nicholas Pinnock.
Although the show has already begun filming, Knight is still on the lookout for extras to be part of the production, and the only requirement is you have to be a “skinhead.”
The casting call states: “Skinheads and people with shaved heads are wanted for an upcoming BBC series, This Town (by the creators of Peaky Blinders). In and around West Bromwich. Must have good availability from now until the end of February.”
They also mentioned in the post that those who are interested will be given a flat fee of £10 for travel by the Film Artistes Association, and are urged to email their details along with the subject line ‘skinheads’ to north@maddog2020casting.com to get involved.
Knight is the mastermind behind This Town and serves as the writer, creator, and executive producer. He recently told the BBC: “This is a project very close to my heart. It’s about an era I lived through and know well and it involves characters who I feel I grew up with.
Adding, “It’s a love letter to Birmingham and Coventry but I hope people from all over the world will relate to it.”
Karen Wilson, the executive producer of the production company Kudos, who is working on the project, says: “The combination of powerful storytelling, gripping drama, and brilliant music will make it a must-watch – audiences are in for a real treat!”
BBC commissioning editor, Jo McClellan is also excited about the new show, and says: “Steven’s scripts are absolutely brilliant – they capture the wild energy of youth and a pivotal moment in time, all set to a fantastic soundtrack, and we can’t wait to see this incredibly talented cast bring it all to life.”
Obviously, This Town has only just started filming, so it’s likely the show will only be available to watch a lot later on in the year, if not 2024.
We can’t wait to find out more. Will you be watching?
