Lost Boys & Fairies is a powerful new drama on BBC One that advocates for the rights of the gay community to parent a child. It stars Sion Daniel Young as Gabriel, a singer and performer who works at the queer nightclub, Neverland, who adopts a child with his partner, Andy (Fra Fee). But to truly be able to parent his son Jake, Gabriel must first revisit his own painful past and repair the fractured relationship he has with his own father.
“I’m thrilled to be working with this world-class team to bring my personally inspired Welsh, queer, adoption story to screen authentically,” says writer Daf James.
Here’s everything we know about the BBC1 series Lost Boys & Fairies…
Lost Boys & Fairies release date
Lost Boys & Fairies is a three-part series that starts on BBC1 from Monday June 3 2024 at 9pm with episodes running weekly at the same time. The whole three-parter will also be available then as a box set on BBC iPlayer. As we hear anything on a US channel or air date we’ll update this page.
How to watch Lost Boys & Fairies online or on TV
Is there a trailer for Lost Boys & Fairies?
Yes the BBC has now released a Lost Boys & Fairies trailer, which opens with Gabriel and Andy talking to their therapist/psychologist Jackie. This drama looks fantastic and mega emotional so do take a look at the trailer below....
Lost Boys & Fairies plot
Lost Boys & Fairies features a mix of Welsh language scenes and singing performances as it follows Gabriel (Sion Daniel Young), a singer and ‘artiste-extraordinaire’ who performs at the queer club Neverland in Cardiff.
The drama begins as Gabriel and his partner Andy are encouraged by their social worker, Jackie (Elizabeth Berrington), to attend a special event where they can meet children up for adoption. It’s there that the couple first come across seven-year-old Jake (Leo Harris). But while Andy, who works as an accountant, is convinced Jake is a great match for them, Gabriel remains hesitant as he struggles with his own painful memories and issues from his childhood and dad Emrys (William Thomas).
Eventually they do adopt their son, Jake, who’s seven, but before he can throw himself into parenthood, Gabriel must come to terms with his own traumatic childhood. And part of the process is healing the rifts between him and his own dad.
Lost Boys & Fairies — Sion Daniel Young on playing Gabriel
Starring as singer Gabriel, aka Gabe, in Lost Boys & Fairies is Sion Daniel Young. Gabe lives with his partner Andy but things aren't easy.
"Andy and Gabe have a gorgeous relationship. They’ve been together for eight years and are keen to start a family. However, there are lots of things that Gabe has tried to keep under wraps. And as the adoption process gets underway it brings them all to the surface.
‘Gabe lost his mum when he was a child. The strained relationship with his dad defines his inability at times to manage the adoption process. The series is incredibly emotive and beautiful written by Daf James, who has gone through his own experience of adoption. I was floored when I first read the scripts. The overriding theme is love!"
* Sion Daniel Young previously played Gareth in the hit series Keeping Faith. He’s also starred in Witness Number 3, Life and Death in the Warehouse, Deceit, Doc Martin and Private Peaceful.
Fra Fee on playing Andy
Fra Free is an Irish actor who plays Gabriel’s partner Andy in Lost Boys & Fairies.
Fra says: "I was blown away by the script, too. I was bawling my eyes out, because it’s so gorgeous and heart-wrenching. To be part of this has been the absolute honour of my life. On paper, Andy and Gabe are chalk and cheese. Gabriel is this artist-extraordinaire, a performer, while Andy is more straight-laced. But they make each other laugh and they both need each other. They are wonderfully compatible.
"I have several mates who are in gay relationships and going down the adoption path. It was fascinating to chat to them about the process. They’re unbelievably excited to see this show. I don’t think there’s been anything on TV before that showcases this journey in such an authentic way."
* Fra Fee previously played Courfeyrac in the 2012 film Les Misérables, starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. He’s also been in Dalgliesh, Cinderella, Hawkeye and Animals, plus the Rebel Moon sci-fi films on Netflix
Who else is starring in Lost Boys & Fairies?
Elizabeth Berrington stars as psychologist Jackie who helps Gabe and Andy. She’s previously starred in The Lakes, Waterloo Road, My Wonderful Life, The Nevers, The Pact and The Responder. She played Mrs. Griffiths in Sanditon and has also appeared in Good Omens, Vanity Fair, Yesterday and Stella. William Thomas plays Andy's dad Emrys.
The adoptive son Jake is played by rising star Leo Harris.Also starring are Sharon D Clarke, who has been in Rocketman, Holby City, Showtrial, Doctor Who and Informer, Maria Doyle Kennedy (The Tudors, Orphan Black and Outlander), Arwel Gruffydd (Y Sŵn, Tess of the D’Urbervilles), Shaheen Jafargholi (Casualty, EastEnders), Mali Ann Rees (The Pact, Keeping Faith), William Thomas (Torchwood), Gwyneth Keyworth (Alex Rider, Fflam) and Gwawr Loader (Hidden) round out the cast.
Lost Boys and Fairies behind the scenes and more
Filming of Lost Boys & Fairies happened in Cardiff in 2023. Executive producers of Lost Boys and Fairies are Rebekah Wray-Rogers, Libby Durdy, Jessica Brown Meek, Sophie Francis, Daf James and James Kent for Duck Soup Films and Jo McClellan for BBC. It will be distributed by All3International. The series is Duck Soup Films’ first commission for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and Daf’s first original screenplay for the BBC. Lost Boys and Fairies was developed as part of BBC Writersroom’s TV Drama Writers’ Programme 2019.
The series was commissioned as part of the BBC’s Small Indie Fund which supports the growth of small independent production companies with turnovers below £10m. The initiative was designed to help boost the strength of UK production in the context of global competition with a strong focus on companies with diverse leadership and producers based outside London. Additional funding support has been provided by Creative Wales , the Welsh Government agency that supports the growth of the Creative Sectors.
Writer and creator Daf James says: “‘I’m thrilled to be working with this world-class team to bring my personally inspired Welsh, queer, adoption story to screen authentically. This project came about because eight years ago, my husband and I adopted children for the first time,’ Daf, who is also serving as musical director on the show, tells TV Times. ‘Becoming a parent changes your life for ever, but adopting changed my worldview. It was such an emotional and challenging time. I hadn’t seen a depiction of adoption represented authentically on screen before, so I felt I had to write about the experience.
"As well as being a story about gay adoption, it’s a show about parents and children, and is universal as we’ve all been children to somebody. It’s a celebration of love in all its manifest forms."
Director James Kent says: “Lost Boys and Fairies is the most beautiful love story I've read. Daf's scripts are heart wrenching, very funny and powerful advocates for the right of gay men and women to parent a child. They left me in floods of tears and as a gay director I'm so excited and honoured to be bringing this story to the general public.”
Libby Durdy of Duck Soup Films says: “We are delighted that Daf’s beautiful story Lost Boys & Fairies will be brought authentically to life by James and this wonderful cast.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “It’s a real pleasure to see such a talented cast join forces to bring the wonderful Lost Boys and Fairies to life. Daf’s intelligent and hilarious scripts effortlessly blend the everyday with the extraordinary, and are packed with the most brilliant ensemble of characters ready to take BBC viewers on this fascinating and heartfelt journey.”
Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales says: "Daf James has written a beautiful story about a family. Born out of the truths of his own experience Lost Boys and Fairies possesses a unique and distinct emotional power. Daf is fast becoming one of Wales' most distinctive voices and BBC Cymru Wales is very happy to back his important and timely series.”
Head of Creative Wales, Gerwyn Evans says: “To see this contemporary and authentic Welsh story, with such a quality writer and production team behind it, being filmed in Cardiff is both exciting and heart-warming. Creative Wales is delighted to be supporting this production as part of our wider work to grow our creative sectors and we can’t wait for it to hit our screens.”
