Bells ring out in tribute to young Leicestershire actor

Lewis Sewell died aged 18 on 15 August

Bells have rung out in honour of a teenage actor who died last month.

Lewis Sewell was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer on 25 September last year, and received tributes from some of the biggest names in theatre before he died aged 18 on 15 August.

Friends and family in his hometown of Castle Donington, Leicestershire, will be joined in ringing bells at 15:00 BST by churches across the world.

Derby Theatre will also stream one of his performances to pay tribute.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Morpurgo and Maxine Peake were among the stars from the acting world to send messages to Lewis before he died from a rare metastatic rhabdoid tumour.

Bells were rung at cathedrals in Derby, Lichfield and Nottingham, St Paul's Church in Covent Garden - also known as The Actors' Church - as well as churches in Africa and a number of YMCA centres.

The tribute recognises the bell at the ward at Hogarth Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Nottingham City Hospital that patients ring when their treatment is finished.

Gillian Sewell said the support from far and wide show how her son was "an incredible young man" who "lived life to the full".

"We're fulfilling a promise to our son," she said.

"When Lewis walked out [after learning his cancer was terminal] he looked at the bell and said 'mum, I've failed', and I told him 'no you haven't'.

"I said to him cancer may take you, but it'll never beat you."

As well as the aural tributes, Derby Theatre will dedicate a seat to Lewis, and will also screen a performance of The Blue Road which he starred in.

Caroline Barth, the venue's creative learning director, said the play "was a very special production that Lewis loved".

"Lewis was an extremely dedicated, mature and talented actor - with an extraordinary level of depth and stage presence for someone of his age," she said.