"Drama, drama… and more drama” is what viewers can expect from series two of Boarders, according to Myles Kamwendo, who plays Omar. The first episode of the new BBC Three series had a sold-out preview last month for an audience at Bristol’s Watershed cinema.

Series one introduced us to five black inner-city teenagers who had been offered scholarships to a prestigious private school, so the question facing the writers room for the second outing was: where do we go from here?

Madeleine Sinclair, executive producer for programme-maker Studio Lambert, said that Daniel Lawrence Taylor, writer and creator of Boarders, was keen to start from the premise: “Now these students are in this school, what are they going to have to do to survive it?”

Production was based at the Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, with eight weeks of shooting in a school followed by four weeks on location in the city, with the support of Bristol Film Office.

Sinclair said the production had a range of locations on its list, “from posh houses to little random country bus stops. Bristol is an incredible place for that – you can get everything here.”

Filming in Bristol also offered the opportunity to use local talent. “It has been really important to the production, right from series one. We try to offer as many opportunities as we can to under-represented talent.

“I think we had a trainee in every department this year. Some departments had multiple trainees,” said Sinclair, adding that this “enriched the whole experience”.

A panel discussion followed the screening, and it soon became clear how much the cast and crew enjoy each other’s company.

“We’re very fortunate to be surrounded not only by talented actors but people you just get on with,” said ­Kamwendo. “It’s not every day that you’re going to have a job and meet a fantastic group of people that you get to work with.”

Thinking back to his work on the first series, director Sarmad Masud recalled: “My favourite stuff was actually the behind-the-scenes stuff. Watching it, I wanted to be part of their gang.” It was this camaraderie that he tried to highlight in the new series.

“We love having fun with each other… all five of us,” said Josh Tedeku, who plays Jaheim. “Whenever we get the chance to, we always… have a laugh… and then we try to translate that on to the screen.” Sinclair added: “They’re definitely some of Daniel’s favourite scenes to write – where the five come together – because that’s where the real gem of the show is.”

Masud recalled a quote that summed up his approach to directing: “‘The greatest good you can do for someone is not to share your riches but to show them theirs.’

“That’s my way of directing,” said Masud. “To make sure these guys know that they’re good – and that they don’t need me.”

He added: “They know their characters so well that I’ve stepped back a little bit… I leave room for them.”

However, to know a character well is not necessarily to like them.

On playing Jaheim, Tedeku explained: “I don’t think you always have to like a character, and I think that’s kind of the beauty in it.

“As an actor, when you are playing the character… you have to know what they want and, even if it’s wrong, you have to want it.”

The RTS West of England event was held on 27 January at the Watershed cinema, Bristol, and produced by Suzy Lambert.