'Waterloo Road': Tachia Newall teases Bolton Smilie's return
Waterloo Road welcomes back Bolton Smilie tomorrow evening (February 7) as he returns to the show for a dramatic guest appearance.
Bolton turns up at the school's new Scottish home in his army uniform as he wants to see Tom Clarkson, and his arrival causes quite a stir among staff and pupils alike.
Hailed as a great role model by Nikki and Lorraine, Bolton is roped into giving a speech to the sixth form students. However, it soon becomes clear that all is not well with Bolton - and there are tense scenes on the way as he completely snaps…
Digital Spy recently chatted to Tachia Newall, who plays Bolton, to hear more about his character's comeback.
How did it feel to return to Waterloo Road after quite a while away from the show?
"It was quite nice! It was good to think that people remembered the character and the work that I'd done, so it was great to get the offer to come back."
Was it a surprise to you when you received the call?
"I was very surprised, actually. With me being in a completely different angle in life and following different things now, I just didn't expect it.
"I had a little think about whether to say yes, because I had to cancel a few little things that I had to do in Manchester. But once that was sorted, I went up to film in Scotland. I'd been in Scotland the year before when I was filming Waterloo Road Reunited and had a really good time then, so it was nice to be back there. I started filming in August 2012 and I was there for about a month."
Did you have a chance to get to know the newer cast members?
"Not that much, but I did get a chance to chill with a few of them. We went out for a few drinks and whatnot. There wasn't really enough time to get to know them all properly, especially as we were all staying in different areas, but they're all a lovely bunch."
Was Waterloo Road something that you'd looked back fondly on?
"Yeah, I loved it - it was brilliant. That's where I got my training, really. I didn't go to a drama school, so I got my training on the job and I learned to do everything on the Waterloo Road set."
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Has Bolton changed much since we last saw him?
"He's completely different. You'll see that he's a lot more serious, and he's only really interested in saying the things that are needed in a conversation. Bolton won't say any of the flowery stuff that you don't really need, so all of his charisma seems to have just disappeared."
Was it a challenge to step back into Bolton's shoes?
"It was a bit of a challenge, because there were so many changes compared to the way that Bolton was before. Plus, I've changed loads myself in real life.
"The way that I used to play Bolton was as an extension of myself, but because he's changed loads and I've changed loads too, we're both at different angles in life. It was pretty difficult and I'm not sure the character's going to come across the same as he used to!"
What brings Bolton back to Waterloo Road?
"I think it's the whole idea of looking for advice and going back to old mentors like Tom, who he trusted previously. He has some things that he needs to talk about.
"Fortunately, everyone seems pleased to see Bolton. They're all happy that he's back, apart from maybe Bolton himself!"
Is Grantly pleased to see him?
"Well at first they feel like old friends and they're pleased to see each other again, but it all turns sour pretty quickly between those two. They're back to their usual tricks of antagonising each other!"
Is Bolton proud when Lorraine suggests that he should make a speech to the students?
"Not at all! He's not interested in that in the slightest, and he doesn't want to do it. He's not at the school for that, so it comes as a bit of a shock and there's a lot of pressure. That pressure gets on top of him and things start coming back - memories of stuff that he'd rather forget…"
What's gone wrong for Bolton?
"Well, he was in the army and that's about as much as I can say! He joined the army and it certainly seems that something has gone wrong, but you'll have to tune in to see what."
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What happens next? Pictures from the episode seem to show him in a dramatic showdown with Grantly…
"Well, there's a lot of running around, first of all. Bolton's army bag goes missing, so there's a lot of running around trying to find that. Emotions are running high and there's a lot of confusion that comes up. As for him and Grantly, let's just say there's a lot of tense scenes between them in a classroom that's locked…"
Do you think the fans will be pleased to see Bolton again?
"I think it's going to be half and half. Half of them are going to be real happy that Bolton's back, but a lot of them might be angry that he's not the same! I don't know how they're going to take it."
Would you return to Waterloo Road again?
"Yeah, there's always room for that. I don't know how they would work it back in, but you never know!"
We know that you're into music as well as acting. How are things going on the music front?
"The music's going quite nicely, actually. I'm starting to get quite a bit of recognition from producers in Manchester, so there's quite a few people who I'm hoping to work with.
"I released an EP last year and I've just released another one - they're both available for free download from my Twitter page. I want to work with more producers, release some singles and get some videos done."
How do you describe your sound?
"It's all experimental stuff! There's a lot of hip-hop and rap, but then it blends into ballads and there's a lot of electronics. It's kind of a new sound, I think. There's a lot of experimentation. Music is my first love - I've always been a musician."
Are you concentrating more on music than acting now?
"I'd like my music to kick off, but at the same time, I love to be doing other things. I don't like to do just one thing, because I think that's boring. I'd like to mix the two and have a balance."
'Waterloo Road': Brogan Ellis talks Kacey transgender plot
Waterloo Road airs a huge episode for Kacey Barry this week as she is finally honest about her gender identity issues.
Disguising herself as a boy to take part in a school football match, Kacey feels more free and comfortable than ever before - which leads her to a life-changing decision.
Amid a huge row with her brother Barry (Carl Au), Kacey angrily declares that inside she's a boy. But will the Barry clan be able to accept this?
Digital Spy recently caught up with Brogan Ellis, who plays Kacey, to hear more about the storyline.
How have you found your time on Waterloo Road so far?
"I've really enjoyed it. It's my first job, so it's all alien to me, but it's a really great experience. I only fell into acting a year ago with an acting college, so it's very interesting for me to see the professional world.
"It's also fantastic to meet all of these people who I've watched on TV since I was a kid. I always used to watch EastEnders, so Zöe Lucker playing my mum is insane. It's a dream come true, it really is."
How have viewers been reacting to Kacey?
"I think up until now, she's always been in the background. You've seen what Dynasty, Barry and Carol can all do, so people are still waiting to see who this person in the background is.
"I think a lot of viewers are questioning who Kacey is and waiting for her storyline to begin, so I think this week's episode is going to be interesting for everyone to watch. They've been waiting for this, so I'm excited for people to see it now."
You've had to change your appearance quite drastically to play Kacey. Has that been a challenge?
"Because Waterloo Road is my first job and I hadn't really had any experience, it was so hard. I struggled with it so much at first. I think Kacey's short haircut was the biggest issue for me. I absolutely loved my long hair, and to me that was my best quality. To have that taken away from me was a bit like a smack in the face!
"I'm settling into it now, but it has taken a good few episodes and a good few months to get used to it and settle into the character. Now I think I'd rather play this character than your typical teenage girl who's obsessed with make-up and clothes. Playing Kacey is so interesting, so it's been really fun."
How do you feel about taking on a transgender storyline?
"When they first told me about it, I burst into tears! I just thought, 'Oh my God'. I knew what transgender was, but I didn't feel I knew enough to play it. As soon as I got home, I was straight onto Google to do some research. It's been difficult, but I had a meeting with a transgender which was really interesting and informative. It's really fun to let go and play something very different to myself."
Were you told the nature of the storyline in the audition, or once you already had the part?
"In the audition, my brief said that Kacey was a boy stuck in a girl's body, but I misread it and thought that was just referring to her being a tomboy! I got the part, filmed two or three episodes, and then they pulled me in to discuss my episode and the transgender storyline.
"I was really taken aback by it. I was away from home and it was a lot to take in. But I'm really glad to have this opportunity now - it's really good fun."
Have the viewers always suspected that Kacey is a transgender character?
"Well, I've had a lot of people asking, 'Is Kacey transgender or just a really extreme tomboy?' Some people have said it's pretty obvious, but for some people it's been open to debate. I think it could have gone either way, but we went down the transgender route."
What can you tell us about this week's episode?
"Kacey is playing football for the school, but as she's just been told that it's against the rules for her to take part because she's a girl, she has to pretend to be a boy and fool the other team. But she actually feels more comfortable when she's acting like a boy - it feels right. She also has a new friend called Zoe there, who really accepts her and helps to bring out who Kacey really is.
"Kacey goes on to tell Barry that she's a boy, but he struggles to accept it. They argue and it gets really heated and loud, so soon everyone finds out Kacey's secret. She didn't mean for that to happen. I don't think she meant to tell anyone, but it all comes out."
Will Kacey face a tough time when her schoolmates know the truth?
"I think because Barry pulls away from Kacey, people do act differently around her. It's not necessarily bullying, but people do act a bit funny with her.
"Some other people are supporting Kacey because they're glad she's admitting who she really is, so it's mixed reactions in the school. Barry is the one who really turns away from her, as he just flips out and goes mental. He doesn't want the Barrys to become an embarrassment."
How does the storyline progress in the longer term?
"There's a few episodes which focus on how far Kacey is going to take this - is she going to wait until she's older to really think this through, or will she go ahead and move forward while she's still quite young?
"Kacey thinks she's going to be fully transgender, which means changing her name and living as a boy. She does that for a few episodes, but then she thinks maybe she should wait until she's older, really think this through and consider what she really wants.
"Changing your name, having a sex change and changing your identity is a big thing. She goes on a route to do that and a lot of things happen, but it's a bit too much and she decides to wait for a little bit."
What kind of impact do you want the storyline to have?
"I've already had a lot of people tweeting me to say that I'm an inspiration to them because of how I look, and that's when my storyline hasn't even come out yet! That's amazing.
"I just think that it doesn't matter what gender you are. These days, it's hard for kids to be different, but it doesn't have to be. To be popular, you don't need to be gorgeous, just be who you are. It's okay to be different."
Do the Barry clan get along well in real life?
"Oh yeah, all of us are really close. As cheesy as it sounds, we're all like a happy family. It's just a lovely group of people in general at Waterloo Road, and that's really helped. They're all so supportive and it's great to have them around."
Waterloo Road airs on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One.
