New BBC drama The Way, which has been created by Michael Sheen, James Graham and Adam Curtis, tells a dystopian story of a Welsh family who must leave their home town of Port Talbot and become refugees, after a civil uprising.
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The story focuses on relations between employees at the Port Talbot Steelworks and the management, and is releasing at a time when, just last month, it was announced that two of the Steelworks' blast furnaces will be shut down, costing up to 2,800 jobs directly and potentially many more in the local community.
One of the stars of the series, Steffan Rhodri, spoke with RadioTimes.com and other press about the series, and addressed the timely nature of the show's release, and how it resonates even more deeply given the news.
He said: "Just in terms of the actual news of Port Talbot, as I'm sure you're aware, in that sense it resonates very deeply.
"It's not a kind of guilt, but a sort of sense of responsibility as well that there's going to be increased interest in this story, because of the news, which we didn't know when we made it."
The cast of The Way. BBC/Red Seam/Jon Pountney
He continued: "And in a sense, it's easy to go, 'Oh, it’s going to be more interesting.' But I think we all feel a connection with the place where we made this.
"I don't feel good about that, because these are real people's lives, and these are people that we worked with, and amongst. They helped us with it, and they're part of the crowd and so on.
"In terms of where we are as a country, I mean, without wanting to sound too controversial for a BBC show, but it's a sort of symbol of the neglect, really, and where the country finds itself and where ordinary people find themselves discarded.
"So I think there will be a resonance because of that."
Starring alongside Rhodri in the series are Mali Harries, Callum Scott Howells, Sophie Melville and Maja Laskowska, while Sheen, who also directs, plays a supporting role.
As well as being set in Port Talbot, the series was filmed in and around the area, which is also Sheen's hometown.
The Way will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Monday 19th February, and will air on BBC One from 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
