Television crew arrives in town to film second series of popular comedy-drama

SOME RESIDENTS of one town in Gwent may have spotted some cameras and members of a film crew milling around in the centre.

This is because television has come to Chepstow, with the second series of Channel 4's popular comedy-drama 'The Change' set to be filmed on the High Street

The entire series will be filmed in locations around South Wales, with the crew setting up shop at 7 High Street, the former O2 store, in Chepstow for three periods over the next few weeks.

They will be in Chepstow today (Tuesday) until Wednesday, July 3, then again Thursday, July 11 and Friday, July 12 next week, before a third and final visit on Monday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 16.

In order to enable their filming, the crew have liaised with Monmouthshire County Council to suspend the single yellow line on Upper Nelson Street, while maintaining access for pedestrians and vehicles.

According to a letter shared on social media by Chepstow Town Council, the show's producers, Expectation, are hoping the disruption caused by their filming will be "very minimal", and have promised to maintain access to shops, doorways and fire escapes at all times while they are in town.

The letter concludes by saying: "We would like to work closely with businesses and residents in the area to ensure the filming goes smoothly, with the minimum amount of disruption possible."

The crew have already been spotted in Chepstow in recent weeks, after series director and Detectorists star Mackenzie Crook visited a popular café near Caldicot Castle, Castell Coffi, two weeks ago.

Returning to the cast for a second series are show creator Bridget Christie as lead character Linda, Susan Lynch as Eel Sister Agnes, Tanya Moodie as DJ Joy, Liza Tarbuck as Linda's older sister Siobhain, Jim Howick as The The Verderer, Jerome Flynn as Pig Man, Paul Whitehouse as Tony and Omid Djalili as Linda’s husband Steve.

Among the new cast members for this series are Laura Checkley, of King Gary, who joins as Eel Sister Theresa.

The official synopsis for series two from Channel 4 says: "“Linda (Christie) has got some explaining to do.

"Faced with the repercussions of the lies she’s told the forest community, along with losing the Mother Tree, and the arrival of husband Steve who has come to bring her home, Linda’s future in the forest looks uncertain.

"But she’s already come a long way since being mother/wife/homemaker Linda Jane Jenkins of Swindon, and her journey is far from over.”