Preview: FAULT Magazine BBC Class Special
By now, you’ll be well and truly engrossed in the brand new BBC Dr Who spin off ‘Class’. From the same universe of such a classic character, FAULT Issue 24 includes a ‘Class’ special feature on their lead cast members, Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Vivian Oparah. We learn more about the young cast, the characters they play and of course their FAULTS! Enjoy the preview below and see the whole feature inside FAULT 24 HERE.
Class. BBC. Working with one of the most iconic BBC shows of all time. How does it feel?
Sophie: Mad! Being part of the Doctor Who family – even being such a new show, the support that we’ve already had is unreal. I think Fady probably sees a lot more of the feedback than I do, with social media…
Fady: Yeah Sophie doesn’t have Twitter! I mean all over social media, all of the Doctor Who fans have been so interested to see what that world is going to bring them next. Being part of a show that so many people already respect…
There are so many aspects to the Doctor Who universe to potentially expand on. Why Coal Hill ?
Fady: It has been such an iconic area of the Doctor Who universe – so to be honest it’s been a long time coming!
Sophie: With Jenna Coleman’s character as Clara being a teacher at the school in the last season – it was a perfect moment in the Doctor Who timeline to link that in. To say hold on, okay, lets look over here now. People have already begun to see more of it, the seeds were already planted. It makes sense now in a way…
Fady: It’s particularly interesting being able to explore that universe in today’s world. Just seeing how this generation deals with that and how it fits into the 21st Century. I don’t think anyone will expect Coal Hill to be quite the way it is now.
While it exists within a known franchise, all the characters and story are original. How do you go about becoming a character
Vivian: I asked Patrick where [my character] Tanya came from, and it was his own personal life and books he’s read. For me, I had to bring her out of myself and how I identify with her. Throughout the series she makes many social comments which reminds me of myself at her age and I remember angst of being around friends who were much older and having to find my way.
How did it feel to hear you had the part in such a huge production?
Vivian: My audition for Class was my first ever audition. They hinted that it was linked to the Dr Who universe in some way but I couldn’t fathom how big of a production this actually is until I got the job and started filming.
Did you find parallels between Charlie and yourself?
Greg: When I first read it, I was like “this is me”. He’s very quiet and awkward like myself and I find that with any role you’ll find something to empathise with and build upon. There is one very specific side of me which is Charlie and remember being thirteen years of age and no knowing how to handle being a teenager and I feel Charlie is me at that stage. Forever striving to make sense of it all and fit in .
You’ve all been to Comic Con and met with the die-hard Doctor Who fans. What’s it like to be up close and personal with so many excited fans of the show?
Greg: I love it to pieces because I’m one of those die-hards! I’ve been going to Comic Con for years, so the chance to actually be on a panel and interacting with people who appreciate the show and it’s history and who have excitement for its future is such a dream come true for me.