It’s just after noon in Birmingham and, in the hidden depths of a city centre nightclub, a singer is about to perform at a pretend fashion show. Dry ice billows across a set bathed in blue light; catwalk models scurry back into position, while an army of extras are shushed by the camera crew. The performer, Déja J Bowens, takes a deep breath and readies herself for another take. “Action,” comes a call from behind the camera. And then, just as she opens her mouth … a fire alarm starts to wail. “Oh, don’t even,” says Bowens with a despairing laugh – as 40 people drop what they’re doing and troop off to stand in a side street.
This is the set of Champion, a landmark new BBC musical drama from award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams. It’s set within a fictionalised version of the UK’s rap and R&B scenes and is an exuberant show on a huge scale. Its four-and-a-half-month shoot has encompassed filming in the Caribbean and proven a tricky, demanding project – even when it doesn’t involve a highly-conspicuous cast in statement jewellery and teetering pink heels hanging around outside while they wait for the all-clear.
