One to Watch

THE ROAD TO RIOT WOMEN STARTED WHEN TAJ ATWAL WAS ALLOWED TO ACT WITH HER OWN VOICE

- Vicky Jessop

Taj Atwal is on a roll at the moment. Not only does she have a new season of Aimee Lou Wood's show Daddy Issues coming out, but she's also been making waves in Riot Women. "I met somebody the other day who's watched it twice," she laughs. "[People have had] really meaningful responses... I've had a lot of older middle-aged men stop me saying it's the best thing they've seen in years."

In it, Atwal plays Nisha, a cop who joins the Riot Women punk band, but also finds herself dealing with institutional abuse and racism. "When I first read it, I got a bit scared thinking, my character goes through a lot," she says. But there has been a positive: "It seems to open up more dialogue for people who wouldn't usually be so concerned about these stories."