As the latest season of BBC’s Waterloo Road has come to an end, the show continues to shine a light on the experiences many young people in the North face.
Mancunian Matters sat down with one of the main cast members to discuss how the series continues to represent these stories in the mainstream media.
Liam Scholes, who plays Noel McManus, has been part of productions such as Butterfly and Peaky Blinders, but this is the 21-year-old’s first big role.
The role of the show’s resident troublemaker was not what Scholes originally auditioned for – in fact, the part was written for him.
When asked if he felt he resonated with his role in the reboot he said: “Massively, the character was based off of me being a bit mad in the first audition.”
The Mancunian actor described growing up watching the show and always identified with the series, emphasising how he feels the show does the city proud.
Not only does Scholes’ personality shine through in the role, but his interests and passions are also highlighted through Noel’s musical journey.
The actor made his musical debut on the show at the end of series 12, performing Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go” in an emotional tribute.
This series we got to see even more of Scholes’ musical talent in the Battle of the Bands episode, which featured an original song by his band The Lanks as well as his own rendition of The Courteener’s “Not Nineteen Forever” along with his co-star Noah Valentine who plays Preston Walters.
The singer-song writer said: “It was the best moment ever; it was an honour to be able to record the music for the episode – truly a surreal experience.”
In this season the show highlights the importance of music and the arts in Noel’s life as he struggles to navigate his way through academic challenges presented at school, something which Scholes felt is important to highlight.
He said: “It highlights real problems young people struggle with and hopefully it helps them feel like they’re not alone.”
The show has increasingly highlighted students’ attitudes towards the arts in the education system, showing the positives that creative studies can bring to the lives of young people.
Scholes said: “The lack of funding and interest in creative subjects in the modern education system needs to change.
“It is so important in helping young people who struggle with those traditional academic subjects – it gives them a chance to succeed.”
The young actor was keen to push for even more opportunities for young people to explore the arts in and out of the education system.
In particular, jobs in the arts for those in the North – something he highlighted is becoming more accessible with the growth of Salford’s Media City.
He said: “Waterloo Road offer the chance for people to get behind the camera and through these sorts of opportunities are making it easy for more people to get into the industry.
“We still have more to do because we have a load of talent.”
Scholes highlighted major stars who got their starts on the BBC show, such as Jodie Comer who he described as a “Northern icon”. During the break from filming the young actor is working hard with his music and working with talented people, finding his sound and is looking forward to sharing that with the world.
Image credits: BBC/Wall to Wall
