Waterloo Road has returned to our screens and for many, it is a dash of nostalgia and for others, it's another series to binge-watch.
However, for actor Adam Ali, it was a chance for them to re-do their high school experience. The 23-year-old plays Kai Sharif - a carefree, “go-getter shoulder-to-cry-on” character - in the reboot of the popular BBC series.
Kai waltz through school not paying heed to what others have to say about them and their flamboyant personality - something which Adam wishes they had done during their years in education.
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The British-Libyan actor told the ECHO: “I wish I had someone like Kai at my school. He’s a little bit of a superhero in the sense that in the face of adversity and generally crappy people, he always takes the higher moral ground and raises above it. That kind of maturity is something I wish I had at school.
“At school, whenever someone threw a comment or said something, it did weigh on me a lot and it did mess me with. I found it really difficult to combat that but one of my favourite things is now playing Kai I get to use humour, wit and intelligence to combat people who aren’t very nice and I think it's a really good example for kids.”
Performance arts was a saving grace for Adam during their school years. They explained the subject “ended up being the thing that changed and saved” their life.
They said: “I had a fantastic drama teacher who supported me and was my mentor throughout and I actually found that performance arts was my escapism and the lifeline out of many difficult situations. Everybody has that one teacher at school that they owe something to and for me, that was my drama teacher.”
Similar to the original drama, the programme follows the messy lives of students as they navigate their way through life. However, this time round there is a heavier focus on social issues with the first episode addressing racism, LGBTQ+ topics and homelessness. Despite the school being set in Manchester, Adam emphasised the topics explored are universal and ones that many people of a similar age can relate to.
He added: “When I was growing up, I rarely saw representation that specifically spoke to the queer Muslim experience. On the rare occasions, I did see it, it did fall into the cliché of being a tragedy. For instance, the Syed Masood storyline on EastEnders and how controversial it was at the time and the uproar it caused. EastEnders got a crazy amount of complaints from viewers.
“So for me, exploring the same topic is something I have always been worried about but also it’s also something I have never seen enough off. It’s really an honour and privilege to be part of a show where being queer and being Muslim is something that is celebrated and accepted. I’ve really enjoyed working in that environment and telling that story.”
Adam, who previously starred in Apple TV’s Little America, was crucial in creating the role of Kai. Initially, he auditioned for a character named Brin, but the persona was remodelled after Kai met with the scriptwriters.
The representation of a queer Arab Muslim is something which Adam was determined to get right on the first go and with the response from the LGBTQ+ community so far, it's fair to say they did just that.
They added: “Since the show aired, I’ve probably had about 1,000 messages and people feel like they have so much to tell you and want to pour their hearts out and share their experiences. It’s a privilege that people feel safe enough to trust me with this. I’m over the moon the show has connected with them,”
Asked what fans expect next, Adam said: “A lot more drama and a lot more chaos. Kai has a really thrilling and exciting storyline.”
Waterloo Road airs weekly on Tuesdays at 8 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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