Levi Brown of This Town: Teacher's pride at student's starring role

Karen McAlinden, who teaches drama at Windsor High, taught Levi and attended This Town's red-carpet premier after being invited by her famous student.

She joined hundreds of fans and celebrity guests, such as UB40, at the the premier of the show at Birmingham Town Hall.

Levi plays protagonist, Dante Williams in the six-part BBC series.

Levi has not forgotten his Halesowen roots (Image: Handout)

The drama was filmed on location in the Black Country and Birmingham as well as at a new studio hub in Digbeth set up by Peaky Blinders creator Mr Knight.

It 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.

Karen, who is curriculum leader of drama at Windsor High, said she is following Levi's burgeoning career closely.

She said: “I am incredibly proud to see Levi, one of our former students, doing so well in his acting career.

"As well as This Town, he is currently performing in a stage production of Macbeth in Washington DC with Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma.

"He is hugely talented and it's lovely to see him remain connected to his Black Country roots.

"It was a privilege to be invited to the premiere of This Town and I look forward to seeing his career go from strength to strength.”

Levi spoke of his Halesowen roots in an interview with the BBC.

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

"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."