The discovery of a similar chart,called an “incest map”,featured in the first episode of the series two months ago. Chapman wrote about it after learning her 16-year-old sister and friends had created one as a celebration of their school connections. Since the show,it has become a phenomenon.
Thomas Weatherall,who plays Indigenous student Malakai,messaged Chapman to say his old drama school has created its own version.
“I’ve heard of a bunch of them,” Chapman says. “I’m not sure how to feel about it.”
Another impact has been on the lives of the young cast,who were all virtually unknown until the series became a hit. In three weeks in Netflix’s global top 10,the series registered more than 42 million viewing hours and created a generation of rising young stars that includes James Majoos,Ayesha Madon and Chloe Hayden.
“Some of them went from having 2,000 Instagram followers to having 200,000,” Chapman says. “A lot of them have been inundated with Instagram messages and been recognised in the street.
“It’s incredibly exciting but also quite overwhelming for some of them. I keep seeing TikToks of people saying ‘I just saw Ca$h[played by Will McDonald] on the train’.”