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'Excitement' as crews film mystery period drama

Oliver Dennett,Burslem,
Lee Blakeman,BBC Radio Stokeand
Alex McIntyre,West Midlands
News imageDavid Williams Film crew members gathered around a truck, equipped with a camera rig, in front of a classic car. A large theatre building can be seen on the opposite side of the road.David Williams
Film crews descended on Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, this week, with much of the activity around the Queens Theatre

Part of Stoke-on-Trent has been awash with mystery and excitement after crews turned up to film an as-yet-unknown period drama.

The cameras appeared in Burslem earlier this week with the majority of filming taking place in and around the Queen's Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday.

There have been unconfirmed rumours it could be for a series of Peaky Blinders. Residents said they were told the production was set in the 1950s.

The BBC has approached Kudos, the production company on site, for comment.

David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, told BBC Radio Stoke he knew more than he was allowed to say after he visited the set on Thursday.

He did, however, reveal the filming would result in "one of the top-rated programmes" when it came out, and had been "for a long period of time".

During the activity in the town, multiple road closures have been in place, with residents spotting 24-hour security, trucks, rigs and classic cars in the area.

News imageA man with tied-back hair and wearing a blue coat over a white Vans hooded top, stands on a pavement and smiles. Behind him there is a fire engine parked at the side of the road, with filming equipment in the background.
Resident Danny Hope said it was exciting to see the film crews in Burslem

Danny Hope, who lives in Burslem, said it was "exciting" to see all the cameras and the crew in the area.

"It's good to have a film crew here in Burslem, as it's been a long time," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

Emma Potts, who works at the Market Place Cafe, also voiced her excitement and said there had been a lot of people out and about either watching or working on the set.

"It's brilliant for the business, as the crew are coming in, getting some food and people are having a natter about what's going on."

News imageA woman with long blonde hair, a red jumper and a blue apron, stands in a room and smiles.
Emma Potts, who works at Market Place Cafe, said the activity had been great for businesses

Williams said: "We had a really good sneak peek into the incredible work that goes on when you're making a TV programme.

"The sun was out, the Queens [Theatre] was lit up by the sun and it's an opportunity to put our fantastic city on the map."

News imageA man stands on a large platform with a number of large, square filming lights around him.
Lighting rigs and filming equipment were spotted in parts of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, including on Jenkins Street

Asked about the recent positivity around Burslem, sparked by the unveiling of the statue of Motorhead singer Lemmy Kilmister last year, Williams said: "There's a serious buzz around here, you can feel it.

"It's a fantastic town, as we all know."

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