LIPA Acting Graduate Lands Coronation Street Role as Newcomer Marco Rhodes

LIPA Acting alumni Will Teasdale (2025) is making his television debut in Coronation Street as newcomer Marco Rhodes.  Will takes on the role of a young tattoo artist who arrives on the street looking to make connections, with a potential romance already on the horizon. 

We caught up with him to find out more about his new role, how his training prepared him for life on set, and the standout memories from his time at LIPA. 

Congratulations on joining the cast of Coronation Street! Can you tell us more about your character Marco Rhodes? 

Marco is brand new coming onto the cobbles, arriving as the new tattoo artist. He is in his early 20s and is cool, sensitive, artistic and somewhat introverted at times. But around people he feels comfortable with, he can be charming and full of charisma, overall, he’s a lovely gent! Because he’s brand new, he's looking to get to know people, through this he meets Summer Spellman and there’s a possible spark from that, but you’ll have to watch to find out where the two could end up! 

What was the audition process like?  

It was a super quick process compared to some! As is the case with a lot of auditions for anything screen related, it began with a self-tape and then progressed to a screen test and then (amazingly) an offer!  

When I went for my screen test I had a howler - I couldn’t find the reception, ended up on set because I went through a door that I thought WAS reception, finally asked someone where reception was, and because I was so nervous I just laughed and nodded, and then went through a staff room door ending up in front of a whole crew on break. Thankfully a production member showed me where to go and I think that settled my nerves for the actual screen test audition as I thought, “Hey, I can’t make any more of a fool of myself” - I must have done something okay that day as here we are! 

What does it mean to you to be cast in the role? How did your friends and family react?   

This job itself means a heck of a lot to me, purely because it’s my first one on TV and it’s on the soap we grew up watching as a family. I remember it was the show that would be put on the telly when I’d come in from football on a Monday. I think for me the weight of it comes from being on set and working with incredibly talented and experienced people, I’m just being a big sponge and trying to take everything in, I’m still incredibly new to this industry so to have this opportunity at this stage is something I will not be taking for granted. 

How do you think your training at LIPA has helped you prepare for the role?  

I’m part of the fortunate community of performers and creatives that can say they trained at drama school, and not only any drama school, but LIPA. The physical training LIPA provided has enabled me to feel like I was ready to take on the acting industry. I think the best part of LIPA is the fact it’s multidisciplinary. There are so many students in different courses that you connect and work with. 

I had a full showreel by the end of first year with short films I’d done with the film and production courses, and that’s down to the endless creatives I spoke to in the endless courses all over LIPA!  

The pace and intensity of filming of Coronation Street is something I haven’t ever experienced before, but LIPA prepared me for what this could be like over a multitude of modules. The fact I can combine a segment of 1st year with a segment of 3rd year to equip myself for a job such as this, says so much about how insightful and crucial all three years of your practice and training are. All in all, LIPA itself has allowed me to feel like I, myself, as a person am capable of really creating a pathway and career in this ever-changing industry. I absolutely loved it! The people, friends, tutors everyone. It truly is a fantastic place to grow and learn. 

What's your favourite memory from LIPA?  

This is exceptionally tough because it’s hard to pick just one. I absolutely loved being in Harvest - that show was big - the set, costumes, sound, lightning. It was a spectacle and a privilege.  

Being the resident DJ at parties, our boys flat, LIPA bar, cheesy chips from the world's best canteen ladies, becoming a regular at Motel, travelling to Romania twice to perform, going bald in second year for Headshavers and looking like a marble, working with some of the best directors, teachers and classmates - honestly I could sit here all day and say about how much I loved my time at LIPA. If I could go back and do it all again I would.

You can catch Will's debut on Coronation Street as Marco Rhodes on Monday 14th September from 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.