Meet the cast of the Doctor Who spin-off Class

Filming has started today on the BBC Three Doctor Who spin-off series Class,  a YA series set in contemporary London, which will shine a light on a whole new corner of the 'Whoniverse'.

Set in Coal Hill School, the series follows four sixth form students at the school who are facing their own fears, secrets and desires as well as navigating a life of friends, parents, school work, sex, sorrow - and possibly the end of existence.

24 year old Greg Austin (represented by Jonathan Arun) stars as Charlie. Greg who grew up in Bournemouth, graduated from Arts Educational Schools in 2013 and played Gordon Selfridge in three series of the acclaimed ITV drama series Mr Selfridge.

22 year old Fady Elsayed (represented by Troika) also stars. Fady is a British/Egyptian actor from London, whose first role was in Sally El Hosaini's My Brother the Devil, for which he got a Young Performer of the Year Nomination at the 2013 Critics' Circle Film Awards. He has just filmed a role in E4's Aliens and in Brotherhood, an independent feature directed by Noel Clarke.


They are joined by 25 year old Sophie Hopkins (represented by Identity Agency Group), who grew up in Yorkshire, moved to London in 2010 to train with Fourth Monkey Theatre Company. This is her first major TV role.


And the youngest of the cast is newcomer Vivian Oparah from London, who trained with the National Youth Theatre.



They are joined by Katherine Kelly,who takes the role of a teacher and powerful new presence at Coal Hill School.



Coal Hill School has been a part of the Doctor Who Universe since the very beginning, but that has come at a price. All the time-travelling over the years has caused the very walls of space and time to become thin. There’s something pressing in on the other side, something waiting for its chance to kill everyone and everything, to bring us all into Shadow.

Fear is coming, tragedy is coming, war is coming. Prepare yourselves, Class is coming.

Award winning YA writer and Class creator Patrick Ness, said: “We searched far and wide for this amazing cast, fantastic actors who understand what we’re aiming for with this show. And how lucky we are to get Katherine Kelly! She’s been stunning in Happy Valley, The Night Manager and Mr Selfridge, just wait until you see her here.”

Steven Moffat,Class and Doctor Who Executive Producer, says: “There’s nothing more exciting than meeting stars that nobody’s heard of yet. We had the read through of the first few episodes last week, and there was a whole row of them. Coal Hill School has been part of Doctor Who since the very first shoot in 1963, but this new show is anything but history. Class is dark and sexy and right now. I’ve always wondered if there could be a British Buffy - it’s taken the brilliant Patrick Ness to figure out how to make it happen.”

Class starts filming today in Wales, directed by Ed Bazalgette, and will premiere on BBC Three this year.