Phoenix Rise will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer![Image](https://i2-prod.coventrytelegraph.net/incoming/article26360545.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/2_Phoenix-Rise.jpg)
Coventry residents have the chance to attend an exclusive red-carpet preview of a brand-new drama for the BBC. Phoenix Rise will be screened for the first time at Finham Park Secondary School.
Aimed at a young teen audience, the event will take place on Tuesday, March 14. It will include a screening of the first two episodes, as well as a panel discussion with some of the young actors.
Phoenix Rise is a coming-of-age drama that follows the stories of six students as they navigate the trials and tribulations of school life in the Midlands. Unlikely friendships bond them and fuel their determination not to be sidelined.
All six teenagers meet regularly in a disused boiler room, an abandoned space which becomes a sanctuary. For them, school becomes a hopeful place and a chance to finally right the wrongs of the past as they strive to find their place in the world.
A number of cast members will be in attendance at the event, including actors Alex Draper, Lauren Corah, Jayden Hanley and Jessal Kullar-Bell. All of the cast will be taking part in a Q&A session after the first two episodes have been screened.
Filming for the series started last year at locations in and around Coventry, including former secondary school Woodlands Academy. Other filming locations were city restaurant Steakout and multi-million-pound venue Players Entertainment.
Stuart Thomas, Head of the Midlands for BBC England, said: “We are really excited to see a new drama set in the West Midlands which puts our young people and their lives at the heart of its story. The West Midlands makes up an incredibly diverse and creative region and it's fantastic that our young people will be able to see their city depicted on screen and I can't wait to put the spotlight back on Coventry.”
Creator Perrie Balthazar, who has written for the likes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, added: “Coventry also has an incredible musical heritage, with a mix of immigrants all living together, which you get in a lot of cities but they came together quite famously in the '70s and '80s to create their own genre of music. I love that about Coventry, it's in the bones of the city.”
Phoenix Rise is available on BBC iPlayer from March 21 and will be shown at 7pm on March 24 on BBC Three. Anyone can apply for free tickets to the exclusive screening via
BBC Shows & Tours.
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