Currently, Bunmi Osadolor is making his professional stage debut playing one of the lead roles of Edmund in the UK & Ireland Tour of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which is open at King’s Theatre in Glasgow until Saturday 14th June, continuing into 2026, with venues across the country including at Canterbury, Eastbourne, Aylesbury and Southampton. On screen, Bunmi plays regular character Manjaro in new comedy drama series Crongton, which premiered on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Monday 24th March, and he previously played Anton in Boarders for his first recurring screen role and made his TV debut as guest character Kayden Reece in Doctors in 2023. Bunmi attended East 15 Acting School for his training, and graduated in 2023. Catching up with Bunmi, he talks about touring as Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, his regular character Manjaro in BBC Three drama Crongton and his time as Anton in Boarders.

You are currently making your professional stage debut in the UK & Ireland Tour of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Edmund, how are you finding the experience of touring for the first time?

Touring so far has been so much fun, especially travelling and exploring so many different cities in the UK and Ireland. By the end of it I will literally be able to say that I have performed in the best theatres in all of the UK. So crazy.

How much did you know about the Narnia franchise before auditioning and what is it like bringing the story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the stage?

So, when I was younger, I watched the film quite a lot. When I was auditioning, I knew what I thought the character was supposed to be portrayed as. It is pretty fun bringing it to life and just playing every day on stage. It is a very surreal moment altogether.

What is Edmund like to play and what is it like getting into character?

Edmund is a very fun character to play but also difficult, because you don’t want to just play him one way. He is a very complex person.

What are you looking forward to most for continuing your run as Edmund and taking The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to further venues around the country?

I am looking forward to exploring the country, going up and down the UK and Ireland. I am also excited for the memories I will make with my cast and crew.

On screen, you play regular character Manjaro in the new BBC Three series Crongton; was there anything that drew you to the character and how would you describe him?

I would say what drew me to Manjaro was how different he was from any character I had recently played. On the outside he could be seen as the ‘villain’, the ‘aggressor’, but all he really wants is to just see his son. I would describe him as very misunderstood because all he does is show the bad but deep down he really cares about his son, but we don’t really get to see that side of him, only in small glimpses.

Can you tell us about Crongton and who do you think will enjoy watching the series?

I think the series is mainly catered to a younger audience, but if you love the books, then I would say it’s really for everyone.

What is it like on set of Crongton and did you have any favourite scenes to film?

Being on the set of Crongton was fun but I really enjoyed my time with my cast members – especially with Lewis Walton, who plays Sam, and Joshua Aketse-Entsie, who plays Nesta. A memory that comes to mind would be when we all watched Baby Reindeer when it first came out on Netflix and we were all just laughing, chilling and eating.

My favourite scene to film was in Episode 10 when Mo confronts Manjaro.

How was it attending the show’s premiere and reuniting with the rest of the cast?

Watching the premiere was weird because I don’t really enjoy watching myself. All I do is think “what could I have done better?”. But reuniting with the cast and crew was a fun and heartwarming night. It was very interesting to see how much time had passed as the younger cast members had grown so much and so quickly since we wrapped.

What are some of your favourite highlights from your time working on Boarders – Series 1 as Anton?

One of my favourite moments was when I first went into my trailer, as this was something I had wanted since I was a child – to live my dream as an actor and also getting the opportunity to work with some of my friends, like Jordan McKenzie (we both filmed Boarders before we had graduated from East 15 together). I couldn’t have asked for a better first-time experience. Boarders was also my first BIG audition so having had the process of the audition and then to booking the job was a highlight moment for me.

How did you prepare to play Anton and what was it like being part of the BBC series?

My process as Anton was much more accessible for me because Anton is not too far from what I grew up seeing around me. Being part of the series was amazing because of the level of impact the show has had with audience members. To have had a small part on that impact makes me feel good as an actor so early in my career.

Do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the role of Anton and how was it having him as your first recurring role on screen?

I felt very joyous and was over the moon when my agent called me and told me that I had booked the job. I was in a singing exam at the time so it was kind of cool to experience that in the moment. I couldn’t have had a better first recurring role in such a good show.

What was it like having a guest role in Doctors in 2023 as Kayden Reece for your TV debut and can you tell us about your episode?

Doctors was an amazing opportunity. I feel like Doctors is a rite of passage for a new actor. Doctors was my first screen job while I was still in drama school so to have been able to be a part of that whilst still in my third year was a lot of fun and surreal at the time.

How was your experience training at East 15 Acting School (from which you graduated in 2023), and what encouraged you to train there?

In my first year, I will admit I struggled as it was a new environment and being around new people was just a bit difficult for me. After I got over that obstacle, the real fun began. I feel like my time at East 15 was a time in my life that I felt myself becoming a better actor, one of my drama teachers gave me two quotes which I still stand by to this very day. The first one was “steal from other actors and put it in your toolbox”, the second was (excuse my language) “don’t let drama school f*** you up”.

What encouraged me was I knew that East 15 has a reputation for pulling the best out of people and at that time it’s what I most definitely needed.

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

When I was in secondary school, I was a big troublemaker and class clown so drama and PE were the only two classes that grounded me. The moment I knew I wanted to do this as a career was when Nina Gold was auditioning children for the movie Pan with Hugh Jackman. My brother and I got recalls and that’s when I caught the bug.

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

YES! I LOVE AUGUST RUSH. Sinners, For Black Boys…, Phaedra at the National Theatre and The Father and the Assassin.

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

Weirdly, I really enjoy going to the theatre and cinema to watch other shows and see what other actors can do and learning from them. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends. And I enjoy boxing!

What are you hoping this year brings for your career, and do you have any upcoming projects that you can share?

I hope this year brings me the opportunity to grow my endurance and stamina as an actor, doing eight shows a week, sometimes nine in different theatres across the UK.

I have a short film coming out later this year called Shoobs, written by Janet Etuk and directed by Lisle Turner.

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