Your guide to the BBC One drama set in Wales.

Introducing Lost Boys & Fairies, filmed and set in and around Cardiff. Starring Sion Daniel Young and Fra Fee, the three-part BBC One and iPlayer series follows singer and artiste Gabriel and his partner Andy on their adoption journey.  

Written by Daf James as part of BBC Writers, this beautiful and tender love story immerses us in Cardiff’s queer culture. Alongside themes of adoption and parenting, the series also delves into self-discovery, which is explored through Gabriel’s performances at Neverland – an LGBTQ+ space set in Cardiff Bay.

Here at Creative Wales, we’re proud to champion this production as part of our wider commitment to growing the creative sectors in Wales. Our support for Lost Boys & Fairies helped to ensure that for every pound invested, £12 was put directly back into the Welsh economy. As a result of our investment, the production took on nine Wales-based trainees and created four up-skilling roles for those looking to progress in their careers in the TV industry.

Read on to find out more about the locations, trainees and music that brought Lost Boys & Fairies to life.

Billed as a love letter to the city, the series helps to demonstrate Cardiff’s potential as a prime filming location for film and TV productions.

Those familiar with the Welsh capital will be able to spot many of the city’s much-loved locations, including Womanby Street; the Golden Cross Pub, Wales’ oldest LGBTQ+ venue; and Victoria Park in Canton.

With the nearby picturesque hotspots of Cosmeston Lakes and Ogmore Beach also providing a fitting backdrop, the series also helped to highlight the varied landscapes available to productions with just a short drive from the city.

If you’re looking to film in Wales, our locations database can help you discover the right spot for your production.

Explore our locations database

Lost Boys & Fairies brought together crew and trainees from Wales and beyond.

Sgil Cymru, which offers training for media professionals, provided an opportunity for Kaitlin Brock who worked on the series as an Edit Trainee. While ScreenSkills brought in trainees from across several of its initiatives, including the Developing HOD (Head of Department) Scheme, Trainee Script Editor Scheme, Make a Move, Trainee Finder, Leaders of Tomorrow, and the Global Majority Crew.

Amongst the trainees were Welsh actress Shelley Rees, who worked in her first coordinator role on an HETV production, as well as an actor in episode one; Nalishuwa Ikachana who joined as an art department trainee; and Nicole Howe who stepped up into the role of Crowd 2nd Assistant Director.

If you’re interested in working on a production as a trainee in Wales, or you want to up-skill and climb the career ladder, head to our skills page to discover some of the programmes available to help.

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Alongside championing South Wales as a filming location and bringing together crew and trainees from across Wales and beyond, Lost Boys & Fairies also celebrated Wales’ rich musical talent.

The performances, for example, set in the fictional club Neverland featured original compositions written by Daf James. While many of the commercial tracks chosen for the soundtrack were Welsh artists like Greta Isaac, Luxe, Hvnter and Johnny Gurnett.

Explore our website to find out more about filming in Wales – from how to kickstart your career as a trainee to how to find locations, crew and accommodation for your own production