Acting grad appears in prime-time ITV thriller

Acting graduate Aidan Rivers appears in ITV’s new high-profile spy thriller Betrayal. 

The four-part series stars Shaun Evans, Romola Garai and Zahra Ahmadi and was filmed in Liverpool and Manchester last year. 

We spoke to Aidan, who graduated in July 2025, about the production, his time at LIPA and what’s next. 

Tell us about Betrayal? 

Well, it's a fast-paced, dark and very exciting new ITV espionage thriller. What more could you want from a TV show? It's all about the life of an MI5 officer, played by the wonderful Shaun Evans. What I think makes it so unique is how it handles the romanticised nature of working in the secret service in quite a realistic way. I think people will find it surprisingly relatable. 

It's a four-part series, so it cuts to the chase from the get-go and you've got to keep up! I recently attended a cast and crew screening of the first two episodes and you are truly in for a treat! It's action-packed but also quite moving, full of twists and turns, and you're never quite sure what's coming next. 

Tell us about your role as Jordan? 

Jordan's a cheeky and street-smart kid. He's had a pretty rough upbringing, and I think he's an example of the many good kids out there lacking positive role models who're easily led astray. He’s a working-class chancer who takes a risk in hope of earning a few quid. It was awesome getting to play someone completely out of his depth, because the stakes were consistently high! You'll be able to see him in action across the first two episodes. 

What part of your training at LIPA has been most helpful with this role? 

Well, I had 24 hours' notice to be off book in three scenes for my audition! Thankfully, LIPA put me in the groove of learning, preparing and performing a role, so I had a strong sense of confidence going into the room. 

It gave me the safety to try things out and get them 'wrong' - if that's even possible! Being buoyed up by such a supportive department of tutors like Stuart Crowther and David Salter made me feel way more at ease going out onto a professional set. I was still nervous, but I think that's probably a good sign. I felt like I had such a range of tools at hand to vocally, physically and emotionally explore Jordan's journey. Here's hoping it paid off! 

As luck would have it, Jordan needed a Mancunian accent, which I'd actually had to learn for my role in Scuttlers during our third-year production. The dialect support received from incredible tutors, Bella Gibbons and Rosemary Berkon, was brilliant and put me in good stead! 

What now?  

Alongside auditions, I'm currently working with one of my classmates, Laura Robinson, on our very own sketch show, called Knickerbocker Glory! We are developing it for stage and also screen with the support of Spring Picnic Pictures.  

You can catch us at UNITY Theatre at 7pm on 28 March. It's going to be immense! 

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