Cameras roll at York Minster for major BBC drama "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell"

Production spends months filming in region following investment from Screen Yorkshire

Filming starts this week at York Minster and the neighbouring St William’s College for a new BBC drama series, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, with the Gothic cathedral itself playing a key role in the story! The drama, which commenced filming in Yorkshire in October, has been backed by Screen Yorkshire's Yorkshire Content Fund, which enables major projects to shoot in the region, stimulating local production levels.

Based on the book by Susanna Clarke, the story of Jonathan Strange opens in York, and is set at the beginning of the 19th-century, when the people of England no longer believe in practical magic.  This all changes when the reclusive Mr Norrell causes the statues of York’s cathedral to speak and move, starting a new enthusiasm for practical magic which takes in war, peace, fairies and even resurrection.

“To have such a key role at the start of this series is fantastic for York Minster.  I am sure that the many families who visit the cathedral will be delighted to see it featuring so prominently, and we look forward to welcoming those who haven’t visited before who are inspired to come and experience it for themselves,” comments York Minster’s marketing director, Nicola Bexon.  “York Minster and St William’s College have proved fantastically popular locations for filming period pieces, with Death Comes to Pemberley and Bill shooting here, but in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, the cathedral will be ‘playing’ itself, rather than standing in for another location!”

Sally Joynson, Chief Executive at Screen Yorkshire, says;

‘’We are delighted that York Minster will play such a key role in another one of Screen Yorkshire’s productions. ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ is the largest scale project that Screen Yorkshire has invested in and it will spend more than six months shooting in the region at an incredible range of locations across North and West Yorkshire including York, Leeds, Ripley, Wakefield and Rotherham. We are privileged to be able to attract such major productions to film in the region through the Yorkshire Content Fund. As well as showcasing landmark locations such as York Minster, which will doubtless inspire visitors to Yorkshire for years to come,  the production will have a major economic impact for crew, facilities and local businesses such as hotels, taxis and restaurants.’’

Eddie Marsan (Best Of Men, Ray Donovan, Filth) and Olivier award-winning Bertie Carvel (Restless, Hidden, Matilda) take on the magical roles of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.  Further casting includes Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures), Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs), Samuel West (Mr Selfridge, Fleming), Charlotte Riley (Wuthering Heights, Easy Virtue), Enzo Cilenti (Prisoners Wives, Rome) and Paul Kaye (Game Of Thrones, Stella).

The series is directed by Toby Haynes (The Musketeers, Doctor Who) and the producer is Nick Hirschkorn (Five Children And It). It is produced by Cuba Pictures (Boy A, Broken) for BBC One and co-produced with BBC America, in association with Feel Films, Far Moor, Screen Yorkshire and Bell Media’s Space. It will be distributed by Endemol Worldwide Distribution. 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Cast information:

Eddie Marsan (Best Of Men, Ray Donovan, Filth) and Olivier award-winning Bertie Carvel (Restless, Hidden, Matilda) take on the magical roles of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell respectively.  Further casting includes Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures), Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs), Samuel West (Mr Selfridge, Fleming), Charlotte Riley (Wuthering Heights, Easy Virtue), Enzo Cilenti (Prisoners Wives, Rome) and Paul Kaye (Game Of Thrones, Stella).

The series is directed by Toby Haynes (The Musketeers, Doctor Who) and the producer is Nick Hirschkorn (Five Children And It). It is produced by Cuba Pictures (Boy A, Broken) for BBC One and co-produced with BBC America, in association with Feel Films, Far Moor, Screen Yorkshire and Bell Media’s Space. It will be distributed by Endemol Worldwide Distribution.

Executive producers are Nick Marston, Tally Garner and Dixie Linder for Cuba Pictures, Justin Thomson-Glover and Patrick Irwin for Far Moor, and Matthew Read for the BBC. Danny Cohen, Director of Television, and Ben Stephenson, Controller of Drama Commissioning, commissioned the series for BBC One.

About Screen Yorkshire

Screen Yorkshire's Yorkshire Content Fund is the biggest regional investment fund for production in the UK and is open to content producers working in film, TV, games and digital based in Yorkshire or from outside but looking to establish a base in the region. It has attracted £15m from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme 2007-13. Since the launch of its Yorkshire Content Fund nearly two years ago, Screen Yorkshire has invested nearly £7 million in 18 projects, including TV dramas Peaky Blinders, The Great Train Robbery, Death Comes to Pemberley, Jamaica Inn, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Hank Zipzer. Feature films in which the fund has invested include ’71, Catch Me Daddy, X Plus Y, Get Santa, Bill and Residue. www.screenyorkshire.co.uk

For further media information, please contact:

Jay Commins – Pyper York Limited

PRO - York Minster

Tel: 01904 500698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk