Buxton performing arts student completes filming for role in final season of BBC drama Peaky Blinders

A performing arts student from Hartington Upper Quarter is set to become part of television history after filming scenes for the final season of smash hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders.
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Tarrah Staden, 16, was selected from an open casting call said to have received 10,000 applications and recently completed her time on set at two undisclosed locations somewhere in the North of England.

The production is shrouded in secrecy and Tarrah is staying tight-lipped about her involvement, but was thrilled to be working up close with some of the series’ biggest stars.

She said: “To be around people like Cillian Murphy, Natasha O'Keeffe and Harry Kirton and see how they work was an amazing experience.

Rising star Tarrah Staden.Rising star Tarrah Staden.
Rising star Tarrah Staden.

“It was also just good to be on a production like that, and talk to people in the industry. I learned a lot and had a really good time.”

Showrunner Steven Knight announced in January that the sixth season – due to air later this year or early 2022 – would be the final time the infamous Shelby family will be together on the small screen, having grown the show into global phenomenon since its debut in 2013.

Thanks to a deal with Netflix, the programme has found an audience in 183 countries, turned Birmingham into a pre-Covid tourism hotspot, and spawned a whole subculture based on its stylish recreation of the inter-war period.

Tarrah said: “It’s something we talked about on set. Everyone’s sad it’s coming to an end, but to know that we helped make it will be something we can look back on and be proud of.”

She has been acting, dancing and photo modelling since a very early age, and her recent television work includes BBC comedy Man Like Mobeen.

But Peaky Blinders was truly a dream role, with Tarrah counting herself among its legions of fans.

She said: “I was just lucky enough to spot the casting advert before Christmas and sent in some photos and details about myself.

“I’d always said I hoped to be part of it. I love period drama and all the history. To recreate the 1920s and ‘30s the way it does, and with some truth about the actual Peaky Blinders gang, is amazing.”

A member of the REC Youth Theatre in Buxton, Tarrah is currently an acting student at Manchester College after graduating from Leek High School.

She said: “It’s been strange studying during the pandemic, we’ve had to do a lot of acting alone on screen but, at the same time it’s opened new doors and taught me more about television and film industries.

“I started doing this as a hobby as far back as I can remember. The more I do it, the more I enjoy it. I’ve got some quite big goals now.”

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