It’s been interesting to see the film and television industry continuing during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. I saw first-hand the steps in place for ‘The Batman’ filming in Liverpool last October – including facemasks and checkpoints. I’m grateful that production on shows and movies has carried on in a safe manner – it means employment for all the cast, crew, and support teams like catering etc. It also saves those of us staying at home from having to watch endless repeats. #priorties
Just looking through local news websites this past week there’s been veritable glut of filming going on in the north west recently.
Parts of Manchester and Lancaster have been used for the new series of ‘Peaky Blinders’. It’s a programme I’ve heard rave reviews about but have never got round to watching, but I know it’s used lots of areas in the north west to double for Birmingham in the 1920s.
An area of Castlefield in Manchester has been redressed for filming – its industrial architecture lending itself well to the era it’s set in https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/gallery/castlefield-transformed-peaky-blinders-filming-19817184
The handsome Ashton Memorial in Williamson Park, Lancaster, which I know quite well, has seen filming this week with production crew spotted there https://www.lep.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/these-are-the-scenes-during-filming-of-peaky-blinders-in-lancashire-3145353 Here’s few pictures from when my Star Wars costuming group the 99th Garrison took over the building as our changing room when we trooped at the Highest Point Festival in 2019.
Closer to home St Helens and Warrington has seen filming this month for a new Netflix show called ‘Stay Close’ based on a Harlen Coben story. It’s set to star James Nesbitt and the fabulous Sarah Parish as well as Cush Jumbo and Richard Armitage.
From the report in the local press they’re using a well know landmark on the former Sutton Manor Colliery site called the ‘The Dream’ – a large white statue of a girl’s head designed by Jaume Plensa. There’s a great story about how it came to be created so check out https://www.dreamsthelens.com/visiting-dream/
What’s interesting is that they’re planning to use the inside of it – while it’s big I doubt there’s very much space inside, so it makes sense to build a set to film in. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with ‘The Dream’ when the show airs in 2022. Hopefully there’ll be a knock on ‘film tourism’ effect and more people will visit it as it’s a little-known gem which deserves more recognition.
From scene to seen 