Australia’s first Indigenous teen drama, Ready For This – a collaboration between two of our top production houses: Werner Film Productions, known for teen and kids drama like the hugely successful Dance Academy, and Blackfella Films, behind some of the best adult drama in recent years, such as Redfern Now, will screen on ABC3 from 5 October 2015.
The 13-part story of six teenagers, all elite within their own field, who have come to live at Arcadia House to pursue their dreams. For some it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, for others it’s a last chance. All are strangers, some a long way from home, and the last thing they expect to find is family.
When the six teenagers move into Arcadia House, a hostel in Sydney, each of them has a different agenda and different dreams. Far from home, they must find a path through the new challenges and adventures that the big city offers while dealing with all the trials of growing up.
Zoe (Madeleine Madden) moves to Sydney to attend a sports high school in the hope of fulfilling her long-held Olympic dreams. She learns that to succeed, she needs to strengthen her mind as well as her body. A rising talent in the AFL world, Levi (Aaron McGrath) reunites with his estranged father and deals with his tumultuous relationship with Zoe.
Away from parental pressures, Arcadia House is an avenue for Dylan (Liam Talty) to pursue his passion for electronic music and graffiti art. Coming from a religious and conservative family, Ava (Majeda Beatty) must gain the confidence to accept who she truly is, as well as overcome her fear of singing in public.
After her mother passed away, Lily (Leonie Whyman) got caught up with the wrong crowd. Her father moves her to Arcadia House in the hope that new friendships and her passion for school debating will allow her to finally overcome her grief.
And Lily’s one friend at school, Reece (Christian Byers), has a secret. An invitation to come and stay at Arcadia House is the solution he desperately needs. There, his artistic talent, and the ability to connect with each of the different personalities allows him to become the heart of the group.
Also in the mix are Vee (Christine Anu) and Mick (Lasarus Ratuere), the ‘caretakers’ of this mob. Vee, who only took the job to get by, gradually realises that the teenagers could be the connection back to the world that she’s been looking for. Sports all-rounder Mick, is the man of the house, and is fatherly, funny and supportive.
In order to survive the year, the teenagers will need to come together. They start off as strangers, but will they end up as a family?
Ready For This will screen on ABC3 from Monday 5 October with a special double-length episode. For more information, visit: www.abc.net.au for details.
Image: Liam Talty, Majeda Beatty, Aaron McGrath, Leonie-Whyman, Christian Byers, Madeleine Madden – courtesy of ABC