The Red King 'cherry-picked most beautiful places in Northumberland' to film drama

Producers and directors on the Red King 'cherry-picked the most beautiful places in Northumberland' to film the Alibi drama which aired on Wednesday night.

Starring local lass Jill Halfpenny, Vigil and Bodyguard star Anjli Mohindra attempts to get to the bottom of the unsolved case of missing teenager Cai. Last year, filming took place in Craster, Alnwick, Alnmouth, Embleton, Cambois, Bamburgh and Newcastle, with Anjli Mohindra saying: "We are literally just cherry picking the most beautiful places in Northumberland, it's breath-taking".

Though some have found the Northumberland locations jarring, as the action takes place on the fictional island of St. Jory, off the coast of Wales, many have just been happy to see the county on the screen once again. There have even been comparisons drawn with legendary cult horror the Wicker Man.

• Read more: Where was The Red King filmed? Northumberland in TV spotlight as drama debuts with all star cast

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Daniel O'Hara, the director and executive producer of the Red King, said the contrasts of city and countryside were exactly what he wanted when making the programme. He said: "We've been to some fantastic locations, the police station on the mainland in Newcastle, just great, slick, modern, with not a lot of colour.

"Exactly the way we wanted the mainland to look. We've been as far north as Bamburgh, with just stunning views where Grace finds the shelter.

"And of course, our set piece really has been the villages of Embleton, and especially Craster with the harbour."

Lu Corfield, who plays Lowri Bain, added: "The external locations on this show are stunning, but so are the internal worlds. Each place embodies the island and they've created it spot on."

The Red King is the latest in a line of blockbuster movies and TV shows to be filmed in the North East in recent years, after North East Screen signed a Filming Friendly Charter with 12 local authorities in 2023. Some of the most notable appearances for our region in recent years include Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dungeons and Dragons: Honour among Thieves and Robson Green's Weekend Escapes.

And of course, there is also Vera, with filming on the final series set to commence soon after 14 years on ITV. Though the trenchcoat-wearing detective series is coming to an end, there is more in the pipeline, with Danny Boyle seen scouting around Rothbury for 28 Years Later, the third film in his hit zombie series.

Gayle Woodruffe, Operations Director at North East Screen, said: "Quay Street Productions’ The Red King is the latest in a long history of film and TV productions that have chosen to film in Northumberland and the wider North East. It is brilliant that our region is being recognised for its stunning locations and on-screen potential.

"Having this high-end production base themselves here not only shows faith in the adaptability of our locations, but in our North East-based experienced and highly skilled crew, enabling them to work on the most exciting productions and to sleep in their own homes."