Alex Jennings

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2024)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A group of 10 people stand against a red backdrop. The 9 in the background are holding up red and blue signs; the blue signs read ‘Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance’ and the red signs read ‘SOS: Support our Sub-postmasters’. In the foreground Toby Jones as Alan Bates wears a grey jumper with red writing reading ‘Justice for Post Office victims’.

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2023) © ITV

Writer: Gwyneth Hughes
Starring: Toby Jones, Monica Dolan, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Alex Jennings, Ian Hart, Lia Williams, Will Mellor, Clare Calbraith, Shaun Dooley, Lesley Nicol
Production Company: ITV Studios, Little Gem
Kent Locations Used: BT Sevenoaks, Westerham, Allens Farm

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2024) is an ITV miniseries chronicling the events behind the British Post Office Scandal, when hundreds of Post Office employees were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system.

Written by Gwyneth Hughes (Vanity Fair (2018), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)), the miniseries stars Toby Jones (Empire of Light (2023), The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)) as Alan Bates, Monica Dolan (Eye in the Sky, Pride) as Jo Hamilton, Julie Hesmondhalgh (Catastrophe (2019), Coronation Street) as Suzanne Sercombe, Alex Jennings (The Halcyon (2017), The Lady in the Van (2015)) as James Arbuthnot, Ian Hart (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Backbeat) as Bob Rutherford, Lia Williams (The Foreigner, Living (2022)) as Paula Vennells, Will Mellor (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, No Offence) as Lee Castleton, Clare Calbraith (Unforgotten (2021), Grace) as Gina Griffiths, Shaun Dooley (Blood Moon (2014), It’s a Sin) as Michael Rudkin and Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey, East is East) as Pam Stubbs.

The series filmed at various locations in Kent, including the BT building in Sevenoaks, Pilgrims Way in Westerham, and Allens Farm. Allens Farm features throughout the series as the home of Alan (Toby Jones) and Suzanne (Julie Hesmondhalgh), the BT Sevenoaks building doubles for both the Fujitsu Offices in Bracknell and the interior of Post Offices HQ, and Pilgrims Way features briefly in Episode 2 as Bob (Ian Hart) drives along a country road on the phone with Michael (Shaun Dooley).

The town of Sevenoaks has a variety of shops and restaurants as well as one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country – The Vine Cricket Ground. There are many stately homes and castles in the areas as well as beautiful countryside. Other productions to have filmed in Sevenoaks include Red, White & Royal Blue (2023), The Larkins (2021-2022) and Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022).

Situated on 28 acres of land, Allens Farm is a beautiful farmhouse with a barn in the heart of Sevenoaks district. Other productions to have filmed on the farm include The Third Day (2020) and The Cleaner (2021).

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2023) will air on ITV on Monday 1st January 2024.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Halcyon (2017)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Halcyon cast standing in a hall on a small staircase,

The Halcyon © ITV

Writer: Charlotte Jones

Starring: Kara Tointon, Steven Mackintosh, Alex Jennings, Olivia Williams, Jamie Blackley, Edward Bluemel, Hermione Corfield, and Matt Ryan

Production Company: Left Bank Pictures, ITV

Kent Locations Used: The Ropery and Anchor Wharf at The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Set in the 1940s, ITV’s The Halcyon charts the lives of staff and guests in a five-star hotel during World War II. The story is told from the point of view of Joe O’Hara (Matt Ryan), an American journalist and illustrates how the war permeated all areas of London life; be it that of the guests seeking an escape from the war or the forbidden love affair of the hotel’s resident jazz singer, Betsy (Kara Tointon). Samuel Sim’s soundtrack punctuates the action with sultry jazz tunes, and will be released the day the show airs.

The Halcyon brings together an incredible ensemble cast, including Kara Tointon (Eastenders, The Sound of Music Live!), Alex Jennings (The Queen, Babel) and Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, An Education), Steven Mackintosh (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Sope Dirisu (Undercover, Humans) and Matt Ryan (Constantine, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour).

Exterior scenes of bombed London streets were shot at The Ropery and on Anchor Wharf, at  The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent.

Set over 80 acres in the Medway area of Kent, The Historic Dockyard Chatham has more than  100 Georgian and Victorian buildings as well as cobbled streets and dock spaces. The Historic Dockyard Chatham has previously welcomed filming from The Crown (2016), Partners in Crime  (2015) and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows  (2011).

The Halcyon premiered on Monday 2nd January 2017 at 21:00 on ITV

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

 

 

The Lady in the Van (2015)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Lady In The Van - Dame Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd being pushed in a wheelchair by Alex Jennings as Alan Bennett in

The Lady In The Van – Dame Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd and Alex Jennings as Alan Bennett © Sony

Writer: Alan Bennett

Director: Nicholas Hytner

Starring: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Jim Broadbent, Frances de la Tour

Production company: BBC Films, TriStar Productions

Kent Locations: Broadstairs – High Street, Esplanade, Harbour Street, Viking Bay Beach,  Morellis Gelato, Buckmaster House

The Lady in the Van is British film based on the true story about a homeless woman, Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), who temporarily parked her old yellow van on the driveway of writer Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) in the 1970’s. As fifteen years went by, the pair developed an endearing but sometimes turbulent relationship, which translates into a funny, poignant and life-affirming story.

Adapted by Alan Bennett (The History Boys, A Private Function, Prick Up Your Ears) from his memoir of the same name, the film is directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible, The Object of My Affection, Center Stage).

Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Gosford Park) stars as Miss Shepherd with Alex Jennings (The Queen, Babel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) playing Alan Bennett.

Also starring is Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!, Need for Speed, Captain America: The First Avenger), James Corden (Begin Again, Into the Woods, The History Boys), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!, Cloud Atlas, Gangs of New York) and Frances de la Tour (Hugo, The Book of Eli, Alice in Wonderland).

In November 2014, The Lady in the Van production team came to Kent to film in Broadstairs including the High Street, Esplanade, Harbour Street, Viking Bay Beach and http://www.morellisgelato.com/ for the scenes where Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) visits the coast. Buckmaster House in Broadstairs also doubled as Weston-Super-Mare for the scenes where Alan Bennett visits his mother.

Broadstairs is a traditional British seaside town offering sandy beaches with rides, beach huts, surfing, a harbour and cliff-top promenade. The High Street has historic red-brick buildings occupied by cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. Broadstairs has also been used as a film location in Eastenders (2015), Edge of Heaven (2014) and Hancock and Joan (2008).

Don’t miss The Lady in the Van which is released in cinemas on Friday 13th November 2015.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA8tMziteZM

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.