A PLAY written and performed in Southampton is to be published by Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury.

Oasis Youth Theatre's I Love You Mum...I Promise I Won't Die, a verbatim play written and directed by Mark Wheeller, is to be published next year by their Methuen Plays for Young People and Schools series, a go to list for drama teachers across the UK.

It's also the last chance to see the play performed by the original Oasis Youth Theatre (OYT) cast in its original setting this weekend.

I Love You Mum I Promise I Won’t Die, telling the tragic true story of Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from Croydon, was launched in Southampton in February. A 15-strong cast took to the Oasis Theatre stage for previews before heading to the celebrated performing arts institution the Brit School in Croydon for a premiere in front of Daniel's friends and family.

On the evening of Friday January 17 2014, Dan Spargo Mabbs persuaded his mum to let him go to a party with a group of friends. Instead he went, for the first time, to an illegal rave. He took a lethal dose of MDMA, but had no way of knowing that. His body temperature soared to 42 degrees centigrade, his organs shut down and he fell unconscious.

At 05.30, the police knocked on his parents' front door to give them the shocking news that he was in hospital fighting for his life. At 12.50 on Monday January 20, Dan died, surrounded by his family.

Dan's death is a tragedy that needn't have happened. He was a well-liked, bright, talented, funny and charming young man, on the verge of adulthood. In commissioning the play, Dan's family aimed to prevent another similar tragedy.

The first part of the play is Dan's story, in the words of his friends. The second part is the same story told through the words of his parents and his girlfriend's family.

Playwright Mark Wheeller told the Daily Echo: "It has been an incredible project to be involved in and has taken us to the Brit School and seen many amazing reviews of our work furthering the good name of OYT.

"The cast have worked so hard and it's been an incredibly moving experience having Daniel's family and friends join us.

"What better motivation can I give to do their very best than to bring the people whose story it is into the room to tell it.

"They are performing out of their skins to do it justice."

A Dan Spargo Mabbs Foundation spokesman added: "We're totally over the moon that Bloomsbury will be publishing our play. There is a very rigorous process of selection, especially with such a prestigious publisher, and the percentage of texts that get approved for publication out of the enormous number submitted is tiny, so this is a fantastic endorsement of the quality of Mark’s writing, and a great indicator of the future success of the play.

"It's out for the new school year in September 2017, so a little wait, but fantastic news nevertheless! Dan would definitely approve, as a massive fan of Harry Potter, the only books he'd read for some long time!"

I Love You Mum...I Promise I Won't Die is at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill on Saturday at 7pm.

Tickets, priced £6 and £4 concessions, are available by calling 023 8073 9797.