Been rocking the buzz cut for a while? Always sporting a Harrington jacket over a Ralph Lauren polo? Live for ska and two-tone music? Then have we got the job for you. A casting call has gone out for ‘skinheads’ in and around West Bromwich for a new BBC drama, This Town.
Steven Knight’s newest creation, writer of Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, “tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music.” The subgenre exploded in Coventry and Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It united young people of all backgrounds in the area and birthed such iconic bands as The Specials and The Beat.
This Town, set in 1981 during huge social tensions in the area, will star the likes of Nicholas Pinnock, Michelle Dockery and David Dawson. Filming started last November, but more recently we have seen parts of the West Midlands transformed for shooting. But it’s not too late to get involved. Mad Dog 2020 Casting is currently looking for ‘skinheads’ to star as extras on the show.
How do I apply?
Mad Dog 2020 Casting is looking for people in and around West Bromwich that are available from now until the end of February. A flat fee of £10 for travel will be paid to anyone chosen. To show your interest simply email north@maddog2020casting.com, using ‘skinheads’ as the subject line.
“This is a project very close to my heart,” Steven Knight told the BBC. “It’s about an era I lived through and knows well and it involves characters who I feel I grew up with. It’s a love letter to Birmingham and Coventry but I hope people from all over the world will relate to it.”
The six-part series has no official release date as of yet, but we might see it as early as late this year.