Young Barry star Luke (12) takes feature role in new series of BBC’s Torchwood

Friday, 03 July 2009

REPORT by TIM CHAPMAN

ONE of the most eagerly-anticipated television events of this summer is the latest BBC series of Torchwood, a five-part story on successive evenings starting on July 6 – and one of the stars is a youngster from Barry!
Luke Perry, aged 12, a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg, was already an experienced performer by the time he landed the role of David in Torchwood: Children of the Earth.
Luke told The GEM: “I started getting involved in amateur dramatics when I was six years old.
“At the age of seven, I joined Anita’s Theatre School and then, because my mother Lisa belonged to the adult section of Billboard Ensemble Theatre Group, I decided to audition for the junior section and was accepted.”
Luke’s big break came when he appeared as the body double of the ‘Empty Child’ in Dr Who.
“I was then taken on at The Workshop run by the Cardiff agent Peter Wooldridge and since then I’ve appeared in theatre and TV productions.”
In a stage production of Peter Pan, he played the part of Michael Darling, acting alongside Paul Nicholas who took the role of Captain Hook; and in A Christmas Carol, swift costume changes enabled him to play four children’s parts opposite Ron Moody.
Until Torchwood, his most prominent TV part was as the son of a farmer in an episode of Casualty.
Torchwood is one of the BBC’s most successful shows in recent years and has quickly acquired a cult following.
So how did he land his latest role?
“I was chosen at an audition last summer. In August I had my first read through – Russell T Davies, the producer walked in, then John Barrowman, and then Eve Myles!
“I was very nervous. I even had to read a second part on top of my own because one boy hadn’t turned up to the read through.
“In Children of Earth, David is Ianto’s nephew, and I appear in each of the five episodes.
“I acted with Eve Myles more than John Barrowman, and she was great – so nice and funny. The filming took nine days in and around Cardiff, some of it in a studio.
“At the end of filming, I was even invited to the wrap-up party at John Barrowman’s house!”
Luke’s enthusiasm for performing is stronger than ever.
“In the future, I’d like to do a comedy. One of my favourite actors is Lee Evans.”
For Luke’s mum Lisa, his acting ambitions have meant quite a bit of running around.
Lisa explained: “On Tuesday it’s Billboard, Wednesday, The Acting Workshop, Thursday, singing lessons, and Friday, The Lorri Guppy School of Dance, so it’s hard work for a parent!
“Luke and Jay Ruckley (Luke’s friend who stars in BBC’s Grandpa in My Pocket) are proof that youngsters from south Wales can make it into productions on national television.
“One of the nice things about Torchwood was that a lot of the stars speak Welsh, so Luke was able to talk to them in Welsh.”
Torchwood: Children of Earth starts on Monday, July 6 at 9pm on BBC1.

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