Callum Scott Howells pays homage to Wales in new drama The Way: 'I feel very proud to be a part of it'

Virgin Radio

25 Feb 2024, 14:57

After finishing his run in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on stage, Callum Scott Howells is starring in a new BBC drama called The Way. 

The actor joined the Graham Norton Show with Waitrose this morning (25th February) to talk about what viewers can expect from the show and how it allowed him to pay homage to his home country of Wales. 

Written by Michael Sheen, Adam Curtis, and James Graham, The Way follows the story of the Driscoll family, who are caught up in a civil uprising that begins in their small industrial town of Port Talbot in South Wales. 

Callum plays Owen, the son of the family, and said of his character: "We find out at the start that he is going through a mental health crisis. He's grappling with addiction, and essentially, what happens is he's falling out with his family. Then they find themselves in the middle of this civil uprising that takes place because the steelworks are closing down."

He continued: "The family then go on this physical journey across the country because they have to uproot and leave because they become the faces of this uprising. The country sort of turns against them, the government and everything."

Owen, in particular, is framed as having thrown the first brick in riots and becomes the number one enemy of the state as the country falls under Draconian lockdown.

Callum added: "I feel very proud to be a part of it. I think, for me,, why I love it so much is because it's so different for the BBC to be making something like this. I think you have to be a part of something very unique."

Of course, Michael Sheen, who co-created the series, is from Port Talbot, and everything was filmed on location, where the steelworks still stand and families live. So, it really is a love letter to the Welsh town, and Callum says that the people who live there were a big part of making the series. 

He explained: "They did a big casting call before we started filming. We wanted the people of Port Talbot to be part of the show because, fundamentally, it's their story to tell."

Even though the events of the series are largely fictional, the steelworks in Port Talbot are being threatened and, therefore, so are the livelihoods of many families, and Callum hopes this series will shine a light on that. 

He concluded: "They're threatening to close the blast furnaces, which means the future of the steelworks is very scary. What's sad is that it has happened now, just as our show is airing. So, you know, it feels like we've planned it, but we really haven't. It's been so sad to see."

The Way is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, and episode two airs on BBC One on Monday 26th February at 9pm.