Lost Boys & Fairies: The Personal Trauma Behind the Drama

The creator of a new BBC drama that centres on adoption has revealed the personal ‘trauma’ that helped to inspire the programme. 

Welsh playwright and screenwriter Daf James has said that ‘everything [he writes] is personally inspired, with new drama Lost Boys & Fairies being no exception. 

He adopted three children with his husband when those children were aged between two and five. 

His latest creation sees Gabriel and his partner Andy adopt a child. However, because of a troubled past, Gabriel must embark upon a journey of self-discovery. 

This requires him to attempt to repair his relationship with his own father before he can truly begin to be a true parent to seven-year old Jake.

The creator of a new BBC drama that centres on adoption has revealed the personal ‘trauma’ that helped to inspire the programme

Welsh playwright and screenwriter Daf James has said that ‘everything [he writes] is personally inspired, with new drama Lost Boys & Fairies being no exception

Like Gabriel, James had lost his mother, although unlike the character his mum had died just a year prior to the adoption. 

In an interview with The Guardian, Daf has shared how the grieving process influenced some elements of the programme. 

He said: ‘So I was grieving, while the kids have had these very difficult starts to life, then gone from their birth families into foster care, then been ripped out of foster care and come to live with these two guys somewhere completely different. 

‘So we were all going through these traumas under one roof.’ 

‘My husband and I learned very early on that you have to talk about everything; all the dark feelings. You have to give space to each other. I think that’s true of grief and I think that’s true of parenting,’ he added.

Beyond the sensitive subject of adoption, Daf explores other themes elsewhere – with a whole week of shooting occurring in the fictional LGBTQ club Neverland where Gabriel performs as a drag queen. 

Each episode includes an extended musical number, as well as choreography, elaborate costumes, music and plenty of makeup.

Another aspect of Lost Boys & Fairies that has attracted attention prior to release is that it will be BBC One’s maiden primetime bilingual drama to feature both the English and Welsh languages. 

Speaking to The Independent, Sion Daniel Young, who plays Gabriel said: ‘I just can’t believe it’s taken until 2024 until we’ve gotten to that point. Welsh is a minority language, especially compared to English’. 

Daf’s latest creation sees Gabriel and his partner Andy adopt a child. However, because of a troubled past, Gabriel must embark upon a journey of self-discovery

Beyond the sensitive subject of adoption, Daf explores other themes elsewhere

‘People are getting more interested in the minorities in a way that they haven’t been in the past. Watching subtitles. All of a sudden that frees you up as a creative. There’s an appetite to see different people’s lives on screen.’

Daf was the first LGBTQ+ person to pen a play about gay characters on a Welsh-language stage, having done so at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff in 2010. 

The playwright said he was scared of doing so at the time because of the ‘conflict’ he felt between his ‘queer identity and Welsh-language identity’. 

Being no stranger to breaking barriers when it comes to his work, Daf’s latest production – which does not shy away from zeroing in on key social issues – is set to be an intriguing and emotive watch. 

Lost Boys & Fairies airs on BBC One tonight at 9pm