The series explores themes surrounding wealth and class, and as such shows us two very different sides of a community. But just where was it shot and what have the cast said about the locations they filmed in?
Read on for everything you need to know about the filming locations used for The Guest.
Where was The Guest filmed?
The Guest was both filmed and is set in Wales, and the series received Welsh Government support via Creative Wales.
The most notable location used for filming is Whitson Court, the house which was used for Fran’s home, Maybury Court. It is a Grade II listed building, which cane be found in Goldcliff, Newport.
Other locations used for filming included areas throughout Cardiff, and Rhossili Bay.
What have the cast and crew said about filming in Wales?
On filming at Whitson Court, the location used for Maybury Court, Fran star Eve Myles said: “Maybury Court is a beautiful home, the land around it is stunning, and it’s filled with all types of animals, there’s peacocks and donkeys and cockerels. It’s an oasis of otherworldliness which lends itself to the otherworldliness of The Guest.”
Meanwhile, Ria star Gabrielle Creevy said: “When you first see those gates open, it feels almost magical, like stepping into a fairy tale or a grand castle. It’s that feeling of wonder you get when you’re younger, imagining what it would be like to live in a place like that.
“That is exactly how Ria feels when she first sees it, it’s like her chance at a new life. The location is stunning; the grounds are vast, and the landscape of Wales looks beautiful. It really adds a layer of charm and mystery to the story.”
Emun Elliott, who plays Fran’s business associate Richard in the series, spoke more broadly about filming in Wales, saying: “Wales is fantastic, Cardiff is this brilliant urban city, but you step outside of it, and it’s a whole other world. We shot on Rhossili Bay, which is one of the most stunning locations I’ve ever seen.
“I think this series will have a sense of scale. Ashley Way, our director focused on not just the intricacies of the drama but also used the landscape and the city of Cardiff itself as another character in the plot.
“Aside from the landscape and the locations in Wales, the people were fantastic. I never worked in Wales before, but there was a real warmth that I felt immediately from both the cast and the crew.”
Executive producer Davina Earl added: “Matthew (Barry) is Welsh, he writes authentically, he knows the posh parts of Cardiff where Fran might hang out, he knows Ria’s world, and he understands her background, as does Gabi, who plays her.
“We have a beautiful manor house, and then Ria’s world, which is also shot so beautifully and with scale which feels gorgeous on screen. Then to be able to go to the Gower and see the coastline, which in the winter had a stark beauty about it. Wales offered brilliant filming locations and visual ambition.”
The Guest premieres on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Monday 1st September.
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