My Name is Leon: BBC Two release date, trailer, and cast with Lenny Henry - is it based on a book?

My Name is Leon, an adaptation of Kit de Waal’s novel of the same name, is set to air on BBC Two on Friday 10 June.

The one-off drama stars Malachi Kirby, Lenny Henry, Monica Dolan, and Christopher Eccleston, with newcomer Cole Martin playing Leon in his first screen role.

Here’s everything you need to know about My Name is Leon.

What is My Name is Leon about?

Leon, a young mixed-race boy, is taken into foster care, and separated from his white baby brother. He’s determined to find his brother Jake, and sets out on a journey to find him.

The film is set in the 1980s, and takes place against a backdrop of the Birmingham riots.

Who is in the cast of My Name is Leon?

Cole Martin plays Leon, the young boy at the heart of the story. My Name is Leon is Martin’s first screen role.

Malachi Kirby plays Tufty Burrows, one of Leon’s neighbours that he meets at an allotment. Kirby has starred in Black Mirror, Small Axe, and Roots, as well as appearing in Eastenders in 2014.

Monica Dolan plays Maureen, Leon’s new foster mother. You might recognise Dolan from recent roles in The Thief, His Wife, and the Canoe, Days of the Bagnold Summer, or Wolf Hall. She’s also appeared in the comedy W1A.

Lenny Henry plays Mr Johnson, another of Leon’s allotment neighbours. Henry is also an executive producer on the film, having fallen in love with the book after reading the audio book. You’ll recognise Henry from hosting Comic Relief and acting in Doctor Who and Broadchurch; he can next be seen in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power.

They’re joined by Olivia Williams (Ten Percent), Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Shobna Gulati (Hullraisers), and Poppy Lee Friar (Ackley Bridge).

Who writes and directs My Name is Leon?

Shola Amoo – who previously directed the films The Last Tree and A Moving Image – has written the screenplay for My Name is Leon. It’s his first television script.

Lynette Linton (best known for her theatre work at The Bush Theatre) directs the one-off drama.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch My Name is Leon?

My Name is Leon is set to air on BBC Two on Friday 10 June at 9pm.

It’ll also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Is My Name is Leon based on a book?

Yes, it is. The one-off drama is an adaptation of Kit de Waal’s 2016 novel of the same name.

De Waal has explained that the story is influenced by her own experiences of foster care. “I was brought up like that, I’m mixed race, I have adopted children, I’ve trained social workers,” de Waal has said. “In 1981 I was living in Handsworth in Birmingham, where the riots were happening at the end of my road.”

Since writing My Name is Leon, Kit de Waal has written the novels Six Foot Six, The Trick to Time, Becoming Dinah, and The Beautiful Thing.

How long is My Name is Leon?

My Name is Leon is a one-off feature length piece, ninety minutes long.

Why should I watch My Name is Leon?

It looks set to be a moving story, brought to life by a fantastic cast.