This Town star warns viewers to prepare themselves

Levi Brown, an actor from Halesowen, plays Dante Williams in the new six-part drama This Town

The star of a new BBC drama by Steven Knight says that while two tone and ska music are at the epicentre of the show, audiences should be prepared for a lot more.

Levi Brown plays the protagonist, Dante Williams, in the new six-part series This Town, filmed on location in the Birmingham area and at a new studio hub in Digbeth set up by Peaky Blinders creator Mr Knight.

This drama tells the story of an extended family and a group of young people who are drawn into the Midlands' ska and two tone music scene at the dawn of the 1980s.

Mr Brown, who grew up in Halesowen, said the show had gone down really well with audiences at preview screenings in both Birmingham and London.

This Town is available to watch on Easter Sunday

"We got more laughs than we were expecting, especially in Birmingham where it was made and it was a really special show there," the actor told BBC Breakfast.

"I grew up in Halesowen. It was mad, we were filming in places I was very familiar with.

"I didn't realise, one day we ended up filming just round the corner from my grandad's house.

"I was like, my grandad's literally round the corner, but unfortunately he doesn't use a mobile phone so I couldn't call him and get him to come out."

Speaking at This Town's Birmingham premiere, Mr Knight confirmed filming of the Peaky Blinders movie will begin in September at the Digbeth studio complex.

Mr Brown said the director's number one skill was "being as whacky as he wants".

There were premieres of the first episode of This Town in Birmingham and London

The drama took six months to film, with the actor explaining: "It's such a big story and it's go so many avenues in it and we only had one director for the whole thing.

"It was a huge task but everyone came together and really wanted to tell the best story possible so I think we wanted to have as long as possible to tell that story."

Mr Brown also learnt how to play the guitar to play the role of Dante, taking lessons before filming began.

"I already played ukulele but I didn't shout about that too much," he joked.

"I love the ukulele but it's not the most glamorous instrument," he laughed, adding he'd learnt how to play it because it was "the easiest one".

This Town will be available in full on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 31 March, and the first episode will also air on BBC One at 21:00 BST that day.