Reunion film Sheffield: Video shows excitement as stars arrive on Crosspool street for BBC thriller

Excited Sheffield residents watched on as their quiet street became the latest venue to be transformed into a set for a major film.

Around three lorries the size of removal vans, and around a dozen other smaller vans arrived on Marsh Lane, Crosspool, on Wednesday morning, as film producers took over one of the semi-detached homes on the street.

After arriving on the street mid morning, they were up and running a couple of hours later, with giant studio-style lights in place next to the house.

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Cones lined the road, and several gazebos were put in place for the film crew. The production team even appeared to have their own mobile toilet block on the street.

The crew had moved onto the road for the latest filming of ‘Reunion’ - a film being shot by Sheffield based Warp Films, which is a thriller that is due to be shown in several parts on BBC1 and iPlayer next year.

One resident told The Star she had seen the actress Rose Ayling-Ellis on the set, who she said she recognised from the celebrity’s time on Strictly Coming Dancing.

She is among a number of well known names in the cast, which also includes Matthew Gurney, Lara Peake, Anne-Marie Duff, and Eddie Marsan.

Nigel Priestly, from Walkley, walked past the movie shoot. He laughed and said: “When they filmed Notting Hill in London, they said it put property prices up there. I wonder if this will do the same?”

Phil Garner, who lives just around the corner from Marsh Lane, said he was surprised to see the film crew arrive. He said he went out to ask them what was happening.

He added: “It’s nice to see them here actually. I was interested in what was going off and they told me that they were recording for a drama that’s going to be broadcast early next year, to do with deaf people. So I was particularly interested in that, wearing hearing aids myself. So I’ll be watching out for it being broadcast next year.”

Resident Michelle Walsh added: “I think it’s exciting. It’s a drama, a thriller or something. We only saw the vans yesterday, and I don’t know whether they were filming last night, but it sounded like a lot of bangs.”

Her friend Angela Clarke, also from Crosspool, said she had not known what they were doing until she spoke to The Star. “I didn’t know what it was,” she added.

The crew has previously been filming in areas including Lodge Moor and East Bank Road. It is understood that they will be working in Sheffield on the project for over a month.

Producers of the thriller say the series marks a milestone when it comes to inclusive storytelling as the majority of cast and many members of the filming crew are deaf or use British Sign Language (BSL).

The writer, William Mager, writer and executive producer of Reunion, is deaf and hails from Sheffield.

He was inspired to work in the film and television industry after watching Modern Times and Singin’ in the Rain on VHS as a young boy