Where was Showtrial season 2 filmed?

Where was Showtrial season 2 filmed?

As a dedicated fan of legal dramas, I must say, the shift from Bristol to Brighton in Showtrial season 2 has been nothing short of refreshing. The new city setting not only brings a fresh perspective but also adds an exciting layer of intrigue to the storyline.


In contrast to the initial season of Showtrial, which centered around a gripping legal matter unfolding in Bristol, the second season shifts the action to a fresh location, zeroing in on a distinct new case and an entirely different cast of characters.

The fresh roles are taken up by actors such as Adeel Akhtar, Michael Socha, and Nathalie Armin. In this production, Michael Socha portrays Justin Mitchell, a police officer who is implicated in the hit-and-run death of climate activist Marcus Calderwood.

In the immersion of these fresh episodes, can viewers identify the location they were filmed and where the storyline is set?

Read on for everything you need to know about the locations used for Showtrial season 2.

Where is Showtrial season 2 set?

Where was Showtrial season 2 filmed?

Instead of Bristol serving as the backdrop for the first season of Showtrial, the second season unfolds in a fresh city setting, introducing a new law enforcement unit and legal team.

Instead, the setting for Season 2 shifts to the coastal city of Brighton, and executive producer Simon Heath has shared his reasons behind choosing this particular location.

He mentioned that in numerous aspects, the latest installment of Showtrial aligns with the current preoccupation with cultural battles, and he found Brighton to be a highly relatable setting for portraying this conflict.

Simultaneously, Executive Producer Emma Luffingham commented: “We deliberately chose to base our series along the South Coast, and Brighton stood out as a city highly committed to addressing climate issues.

For Marcus and his anti-climate genocide collective, ‘Brighton’ seemed like a fitting abode, and given its lively and politically involved character, it served as an ideal venue for us to delve into activism and encounter various perspectives on the subject.

Where was Showtrial season 2 filmed?

Where was Showtrial season 2 filmed?

Although the storyline for Showtrial’s second season is based in Brighton, most of the filming was done in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. Later, additional filming, known as second unit filming, took place in Brighton to ensure an accurate portrayal of the show’s setting.

Heath mentioned that they’ve filmed several dramas in Northern Ireland over the last ten years, including Line of Duty. What’s appealing is that parts of Northern Ireland can effectively stand in for the south coast of England. To enhance these locations, additional filming was done in and around Brighton itself.

Simultaneously, director Julia Ford expressed: “I reside in Brighton, so when I came across the script line ‘a man on a bike cycling from Lewes to Brighton’, it resonated with me. I was initially apprehensive about shooting it in Belfast, thinking it would be quite a task merging these locations.

“Our locations department, production designer Gillian Devenney, producer Ken Horn and I all got on a zoom and looked at images of places they’d been to see in Belfast – I was absolutely staggered by how many places look like certain parts of Brighton.”

Additionally, he elaborated on the process of capturing the climate protest scene that initiates the program in Belfast, and shared insights into its production.

During a Q&A session about the series, he acknowledged, “Ken Horn, our producer, deserves immense praise for that particular sequence. Notably, Ken was responsible for the part of Belfast where we filmed that scene, and it was among the final scenes we captured.

Opening our spectacle was the hit-and-run incident, and we mused, ‘It’s alright, but since you don’t recognize him, the significance of it all hasn’t yet struck a chord with you.’

“We decided it was necessary to speak with him. We discussed various methods for conducting interviews, particularly cost-effective ones. Then Ben proposed an alternative idea – staging a large, impactful protest. I agreed enthusiastically, and we checked our remaining funds in the bank before deciding to give it a try.

However, it wasn’t until I watched the initial footage (rushes) that I realized just how massive the scope of what Ken was capable of creating would be, despite our having finalized the scripts and other preparations earlier.

Additionally, there’s an amusing tale from the day – we found it difficult to manage complete crowd control, and some people passing by decided to scold our climate protesters. ‘Look at the disturbance you’re causing!’ It was quite genuine.

In North Ireland, one particular site employed was the old Corpus Christi College situated in West Belfast. It’s here that the crew filmed the courtroom sequences. They managed this by constructing an entire courtroom setup within the college’s former gymnasium.

Showtrial will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 6th October.

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2024-10-06 08:35