Oscar takes on young Nigel Slater role in Toast

A young actor is being filmed in the Midlands for his first major film role alongside Hollywood stars Helena Bonham-Carter and Freddie Highmore.

Oscar Kennedy, aged 11, is playing the lead role in Toast, a multi-million pound BBC adaptation of Penn-born celebrity cook Nigel Slater's autobiographical novel of the same name.

He says: "It really has been quite an experience; just extraordinary. To meet these professional actors and work alongside them has been fantastic."

Oscar, a Carnarvon Primary School pupil from Skylark Close in Bingham, was put forward for the role by the Television Workshop in Nottingham. He trumped hundreds of pupils to get the part, impressing in three auditions.

Toast was written by Lee Hall, who also wrote the script for Billy Elliot. Jamie Bell took the lead role in that film and there are already rumours Oscar could match his success.

"That's a bit scary because he is such a good actor," says Oscar."But it's also exciting. Helena and Freddie have both given me advice."

Oscar's father Pete says: "He has made us very proud. To find something you're good at and want to do as a career is fantastic at any age but for someone as young as Oscar it really is unusual."

Toast is being filmed at locations throughout the Midlands including the Black Country Living Museum and yesterday at Highbury Hall in Moseley. But the Express and Star was forbidden from taking pictures on set. Freddie Highmore, who also played the lead role in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, plays an older version of Mr Slater.

Miss Bonham-Carter plays Mr Slater's step-mother. The film, which is due to be shown on the BBC at the end of the year, is being made by Ruby Films and funded by Screen WM.

It is being directed by SJ Clarkson, whose previous work includes Life On Mars and Heroes. The low budget means all the filming, which is due to finish Monday, has had to take place in 29 days. Producer Faye Ward says: "So far everything has gone to plan, we have not had a huge number of problems.

"A couple of scenes have been disrupted by the rain but generally it's been fine. The Black Country Museum has given us all the elements of Nigel's world we wanted and the cast members have been very good. Historically it is not easy to work with children but Oscar has been brilliant."

Miss Bonham-Carter said working on Toast was a different experience to working on Hollywood blockbusters Fight Club, Harry Potter and Big Fish. "We have much less time on this," she says. "And that means we're under pressure to get it right quickly.

"But the team here has been really good and we're all working really hard so it's going okay. It's been really enjoyable."