A SCHOOLBOY had only been attending drama classes for a week when he landed a role alongside Michael Palin in a major new television drama.

Ubayd Rehman, 12, plays a cheeky neighbour of Mr Palin’s character in Remember Me.

Ubayd, who attends Ilkley Drama School (Articulate Speech, Drama & Casting) which runs sessions at Ilkley Grammar School on Saturday mornings, was invited to audition for the three-part series by his agent, Stacey Burrows, who spotted his “natural talent”.

“I had never done an audition before and was a bit nervous,” said Ubayd.

After two auditions the youngster was offered the role of Akil Salim who lives next door to Tom Parfitt, Mr Palin’s character, a pensioner who witnesses a violent death the day he moves into a care home. The spooky drama, filmed in Huddersfield and North Yorkshire, marks the Monty Python legend’s first lead acting role in 20 years.

Ubayd’s on-screen brother is played by Bradford actor Aqib Khan, who starred in 2010 film West is West, the sequel to East is East. Aqib also attends Articulate Speech, Drama and Casting.

The cast also includes Game of Thrones and Full Monty actor Mark Addy, Julia Sawalha, who was in Lark Rise to Candleford and Absolutely Fabulous, and Mina Anwar, who plays Ubayd and Aqib’s on-screen mother.

“It was great to take tips from Aqib and to act alongside stars like Michael Palin,” said Ubayd, a pupil at Dixons Trinity Academy.

Since filming the series Ubayd has been to other auditions for TV shows and feature films and had a role in CBBC series Hank Zipzer, filmed in Calderdale.

  • Remember Me: BBC1, Sunday at 9pm.