Tyler Pickles successfully auditioned for a new coming-of-age dance school drama during his training at Leeds Conservatoire.
Tyler Pickles (back row, second from left) with the cast of Dreamers
Now a graduate of the conservatoire’s Acting course, the 23-year-old can be seen in Channel 4’s Dreamers. The six-part series follows an eclectic group of dance students as they navigate the intense highs and lows of coming-of-age in today’s complex world – captured through stories which are as joyful and funny as they are raw and truthful, brought viscerally to life via irresistible dance choreography.
Tyler trained at DTMP School of Dance in Pudsey from the age of seven and decided to pursue his acting ambitions as a teenager. He recalls his transformation during his conservatoire training; from shaking and forgetting lines at the start to playing the lead in Macbeth at Leeds Playhouse in his final year:
“If there's one thing I credit the conservatoire for, it's the ability to just throw you into as many different situations as possible to get the most out of you and to make you feel comfortable in the most uncomfortable situations, because I'd be jumping from Stanislavski and then in the next session interpreting a colour through movement.”
Tyler during filming in Leeds
He landed his role in Dreamers after being encouraged by friends and staff at the conservatoire to apply, eventually securing the part of Liam, who he sums up as “a bit of a rogue.”
Describing the series as “This is England meets Fame” Tyler said: “It’s something that we all definitely enjoyed being a part of.
“We’ve all kind of developed as a family, not a term I use lightly, because this was our first time doing this. So we were all in it together and went through the entire process together.
“We formed it through improvisation so it's very much ours as much as it is the director’s.”
Behind the scenes
The series is a celebration of resilience, determination, and spirit which never shies away from relevant and hard-hitting themes. It shines a light on the pressures young people face but also provides a dynamic and energising insight into the city of Leeds and its people. The production was shot in and around Leeds and presented a fantastic opportunity for Tyler and other young talent to break into the broadcast industry.
Tyler is committed to stage as well as screen and joined forces with fellow graduates from the conservatoire’s School of Drama to set up Rebel Roots Theatre Company. The Leeds-based company’s goals are to make theatre more accessible for working-class audiences, create work that provides a true representation of northern working-class people, provide work for graduates and unrepresented talent, and support local spaces such as pubs and other small venues.
On what’s next Tyler said, “Watch this space.”
