Smash hit

“Because I never went to drama school, I have to be even more self-critical when I look at my performances. There are a lot of actors who say, ‘Oh, I can’t watch myself… Once I’ve given all my energy, I have to leave,’” he grins, throwing a limp palm to his forehead. “Fair dues to them, but I don’t buy it. How will I ever know if I’m getting better, or if I’m making the same mistakes again and again?”

In a roundabout way, Clarke has his mum to thank for getting him involved in screenwriting. “I would go to auditions and read the scripts, and I’d think, I can do better than this,” he explains, measured and considered rather than dismissive. “But my mum taught me, until you’ve walked in someone’s shoes, you shouldn’t comment on what they do. I saved up the £300 for the scriptwriting software, bought a pile of screenplays from a bookshop to see how they were formatted, and started trying to turn stories into scenes.”

Kidulthood wasn’t his first script. He’d submitted screenplays ranging from life on the road with a band to straight-up romcoms. “People were like, ‘This is great, but have you been in a band?’ But when they read Kidulthood, they thought, ‘He must know about this, he’s from round here.’ OK,” he shrugs. “I see what’s happening. Fine, let’s do it. It’s a way to get my foot in the door.”

Since then, he has written an episode of Torchwood, the Dr Who spin-off show and the pilot episode of West 10 LDN, a teen drama, screened on BBC Three in March. Yesterday saw the release of Adulthood, the sequel to his first film, in which Clarke fills the role of director as well as writer and actor. The premise sees the same group of characters react to the release from jail of their friend’s killer. Meanwhile, the killer, Sam, played by Clarke, has to come to terms with his past actions. Audiences who see beyond the bursts of violence will again find a film underpinned by moral messages more practical than preachy and, perhaps, cause for optimism.

“I think the reason these things happen between young people is there’s a sort of pride. No one wants to get a slap in the face, and go, ‘OK, I’m going to walk away from this,’” he says. “These films aren’t just about violence, they’re about actions and consequences, and how if you do things at a certain age, they can come back to haunt you.”

Which leaves you wondering just where the consequences of Clarke’s actions may lead to: the Baftas, or a mantelpiece packed with accolades from Dr Who Adventures? Dancing on Ice or travelling the nation’s literature festivals? Hollyoaks or Hollywood? In every case, really, there’s no reason why it can’t be both.

Adulthood is out now

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