Lost Boys & Fairies

I was pretty angry by episode two of Lost Boys & Fairies.

But what is drama if you don’t go through the conflict to get to the resolution?

At least it proves I was invested in the characters.

In a new 3 part British series you won’t see its twists and turns coming, but they will hit you like a gut punch where you are teary and smiling, sometimes at the same time….

Sion Daniel Young plays Gabriel, a young cabaret performer in Wales, who shares a perfect domestic life with hunky boyfriend Andy (Fra Fee) who are interviewed by Jackie (Elizabeth Berrington) as potential adoptive parents.

It’s a long process for the couple, who appear to be ready to settle down after their wild twenty-something days of partying to begin a family. Both have their heart set on a little girl, but Jackie encourages them to keep an open mind.

While Andy is balanced and responsible, if occasionally guilty of over-compensating for those around him, Gabe has a complex history. There’s a past history of hedonism and failings, and an upbringing with his father which leaves the relationship so strained he lies about it to Jackie. Not good where honesty and transparency are non-negotiable.

Even meeting his elderly dad (William Thomas) to share the news of their adoption plans does not go well.

“I just think a child needs a mother, that’s all,” his father reveals. Ouch.

But Andy & Gabe have enough love between them to forge ahead and share with a young child.

When they meet 7 year old Jake (Leo Harris) it’s a match-made in heaven. And so the adoptive process cautiously enters the next phase with nerves, hopes and everyone’s best intentions. In a three part drama, sometimes prone to melodrama, not all will run as smoothly as planned.

The series elicits some heartfelt, earnest performances from its leads Sion Daniel Young and Fra Fee as a flawed but true couple. They love, they fight, they negotiate and take leaps into the unknown with their heart on their collective sleeves.

Outside of the domestic scenes the series is theatrically complemented by nightclub scenes with drag queens and gay pals, peppered by musical numbers and luminous characters.

This is a series where the supporting roles, and even the cameos, weave a rich tapestry. Elizabeth Berrington, William Thomas, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Sharon D. Clarke, Arwel Gruffydd and Gwyneth Keyworth -who makes a late but notable appearance in episode 3- bring plenty to the table in their respective roles.

Daf James’ script is sensitevly steered by director James Kent making this an emotional viewing experience (the ‘Mad World’ sequence is a creative highlight) and which always feels grounded and utterly believable.

If you still have a lingering memory of It’s a Sin for all its British queerness, theatricality and confronting drama, then Lost Boys & Fairies is for you. Highly recommended.

Lost Boys & Fairies is now screening on Stan.