Alex Dimitriades and Aden Young Lead a Fresh New Cast in SBSs Australian Drama, The Principal
13 August 2015
Set in a boy’s high school, this four part drama series features AACTA award-winning Alex Dimitriades (The Slap, Underbelly) who plays the role of Matt Bashir, a former history teacher and Deputy Principal at a prestigious girls’ school, who is promoted to Principal of Boxdale Boys High.
Boxdale Boys High is a notoriously violent and difficult school and Principal Bashir is brought in because of his different and radical approach to reform. The sudden change brings him into conflict on all fronts and even leaves his personal life exposed. Still, Bashir works overtime to get the local community on side, promising change, but just when it seems he is making progress, a student is found dead on school grounds.
The Principal was created by award-winning producer Ian Collie (Saving Mr Banks, Rake, Jack Irish), along with Rachael Turk and Kristen Dunphy, and directed by multi award-winning Kriv Stenders (Red Dog, Boxing Day). The new crime drama showcases a range of high calibre Australian talent including AFI nominated Aden Young (Rectify, East West 101) and AACTA award-winning Mirrah Foulkes (Animal Kingdom, Hawaii Five-0).
The locally produced drama, which has been nominated for an Australian Writers Guild Award, boasts writers Alice Addison (The Hunter, The Devil’s Playground) and Kristen Dunphy (East West 101) and introduces fresh new Australian talent including Rahel Romahn (Underbelly, The Combination), Aliki Matangi (Jonah from Tonga) Tyler De Nawi and Thuso Lekwape.
As part of the multi-platform presentation of The Principal, SBS Online has also launched their new SBS True Stories initiative. Emerging and early career writers from around the country were invited to present their own intriguing and captivating stories from their own high school experiences, as audio podcasts for the web.
Emerging writers were given the opportunity to work with industry producers and script writers to construct their personal stories. Commissioned by SBS Online, the SBS True Stories podcasts will be available weekly from 31 August to complement the themes and issues explored in The Principal. To experience these stories, visit https://www.sbs.com.au/programs/the-principal.
Watch the promo for The Principal here.
The Four-Part Crime Drama Screens Over Two Big weeks, starting 8.30pm, Wednesday, 7 October and continuing 8.30pm, Thursday, 8 October on SBS.
Join the conversation: #ThePrincipalSBS