A BARRY Island student has landed a role in the new season of Netflix drama, Sex Education - playing a character with a sexually transmitted infection.

Lucas Edwards, a second-year theatre and drama student, joined other students and graduates from the University of South Wales (USW) film and TV school who have worked in a wide range of roles on season two of the drama.

Sex Education focuses on the issues facing a group of teenage classmates as they navigate high school, tackling all aspects of sexuality with a refreshing frankness and humour.

Mr Edwards, 21, played a teenager diagnosed with chlamydia.

Having worked for a short time on season 1 of the comedy drama, he jumped at the chance to join the team again – and this time, to be given a featured role.

“This is by far the biggest series I’ve had the chance to be part of,” he said.

“I’ve been an extra on Casualty, Poldark and Brave New World, but this has been such a fantastic opportunity, especially while I’m still at university.”

He thanked acting for helping him overcome a stammer, which he suffered from while at primary school.

He said: “I found that when I was pretending to be someone else, my stammer would disappear, so I owe a lot to drama for allowing me to develop that confidence and realise my potential.”

His most surreal role from working on Sex Education was beatboxing with Asa Butterfield, who plays the lead role of Otis, between takes.

“I was just killing time and Asa randomly joined in,” he said.

“It was such a great experience spending time with him and connecting on that level – plus it’s a great story to tell of my time on the show.”

Mr Edwards portrays the experience of a teenager who has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection while trying to navigate the ups and downs of secondary school.

He said: “It was really important to me that these issues were shown in a sensitive and realistic way.

“If it helps just one person going through this situation, then the series has done its job.”

Filming for season two took place across South Wales during the summer of 2019, predominantly in Caerleon, with other locations in Cardiff, Newport and the Wye Valley.

After a number of successful graduate placements on season 1 during 2018, production company Eleven Film arranged for 18 work placements for USW Film & TV School Wales (FTSW) graduates across the whole production – including costume, art, camera, sound and other areas – with many lasting several weeks.

During the production, several trainees went on to longer term roles, and a number have since gone on to work on other Netflix series.

USW director of production and performance, Tom Ware said: “We’re thrilled that, once again, students from our creative industries courses were able to gain invaluable experience both in front of and behind the camera on the second season of this brilliant drama.

“With more than 20 graduates from our film and TV school courses working in roles across the production, as well as actors from our performance courses appearing on screen, it’s a joy to see so many of our most talented students be given an opportunity to be part of this production.

“We’ve loved working with both Eleven Films and Netflix and look forward to building closer ties with both as part of our bigger ambition to provide clear and sustainable progression routes for young people into the Wales film and TV industry.”