Crusoe scenes to be filmed at Fairfax House
Fairfax House will be one of the settings for the new Robinson Crusoe TV series
Scenes for a 13-part epic event TV series of Robinson Crusoe will be filmed at Fairfax House this week.
Fairfax House will be closed for 3 days (20th - 23rd May) whilst the film crew take over the House. This is the first time that the House has been featured in a major TV production series.
The British production company, Power, are filming this series for the US network NBC and will be using a variety of locations in York for flash back scenes to show Crusoe and his family in the earlier years of his life. They will then re-locate in South Africa and the Seychelles to film the desert island scenes. The series will also be shown one of the major UK channels.
The lead roles are taken by American actor Philip Winchester (Flyboys, Thunderbirds) and Anna Walton (The Mutant Chronicles, Hell Boy II and The Golden Army). This is an ambitious remake of Daniel Defoe’s masterpiece novel (first published in 1719) and re-tells the enduring story of Robinson Crusoe. It explores the perils and challenges facing the world’s most famous castaway as he and his native friend Friday struggle to survive on a desert island with little more than their wits. Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved family.
At Fairfax House the filming will take place in the Library, the Dining Room (which will be stripped back and turned into a Drawing Room), the main staircase, Anne’s bedroom, the Viscount’s bedroom and the Drawing Room and the filming will include the death scene in the Viscount’s bedroom, a lawyer friend of Crusoe’s working in the library and Crusoe’s wife, Susannah(a newly created role for the series), working at a desk in Anne’s bedroom.
The preparation and filming will take place over three days in which time the House will be totally transformed. The Viscount’s bed will be re-hung and moved in front of the fire place, a big gantry will be put at the front of the house, bringing the passing by pedestrians up to window level so they can be seen moving past the windows.
Two big screens will be situated on Castlegate to hide the modern exteriors on the street and will also act as screens onto which Georgian exteriors and Georgian England will be projected.
The costume designer has visited Fairfax House and will be designing the costumes around the colours of the House.
There have also been creaking floorboards to sort out and a local joiner has been called into Fairfax House to tighten up the offending boards and the bottom flight of the main stairs carpet will be replaced with coire matting which is regarded as more fitting for the early 17th century settings of Crusoe.
Peter Brown, Director of Fairfax House was delighted that the House had been chosen as a filming location. He said: “We have worked very closely with the production team over the last few months to ensure that the alterations they need to make in order to shoot scenes do not affect the fabric of the House.
“Some compromises have had to be made. For example the crew wanted to burn a significant letter in an open fire. As all the chimneys are capped in the House this is not possible so we have agreed that a mock fire arrangement will be staged and then one of the Georgian fire grates will be moved across to The Black Swan pub in Peasholme Green, York where they can light a real fire.
“We look forward to seeing the end results and will be posting production pictures and more details about viewing times on our website at in due course.”
The Fairfax House 2008 season runs from Saturday 9 February through to 31 December 2008 (closed 24, 25, 26 December for Christmas). For more information pick up a brochure or go to www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk
Ends
Press Contacts:
Melanie Paris
Tel: 01904 647408
E mail: hello@melanieparis.com
Peter Brown
Tel: 01904 654443
Email: peterbrown@fairfaxhouse.co.uk
Fairfax House will be closed for 3 days (20th - 23rd May) whilst the film crew take over the House. This is the first time that the House has been featured in a major TV production series.
The British production company, Power, are filming this series for the US network NBC and will be using a variety of locations in York for flash back scenes to show Crusoe and his family in the earlier years of his life. They will then re-locate in South Africa and the Seychelles to film the desert island scenes. The series will also be shown one of the major UK channels.
The lead roles are taken by American actor Philip Winchester (Flyboys, Thunderbirds) and Anna Walton (The Mutant Chronicles, Hell Boy II and The Golden Army). This is an ambitious remake of Daniel Defoe’s masterpiece novel (first published in 1719) and re-tells the enduring story of Robinson Crusoe. It explores the perils and challenges facing the world’s most famous castaway as he and his native friend Friday struggle to survive on a desert island with little more than their wits. Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved family.
At Fairfax House the filming will take place in the Library, the Dining Room (which will be stripped back and turned into a Drawing Room), the main staircase, Anne’s bedroom, the Viscount’s bedroom and the Drawing Room and the filming will include the death scene in the Viscount’s bedroom, a lawyer friend of Crusoe’s working in the library and Crusoe’s wife, Susannah(a newly created role for the series), working at a desk in Anne’s bedroom.
The preparation and filming will take place over three days in which time the House will be totally transformed. The Viscount’s bed will be re-hung and moved in front of the fire place, a big gantry will be put at the front of the house, bringing the passing by pedestrians up to window level so they can be seen moving past the windows.
Two big screens will be situated on Castlegate to hide the modern exteriors on the street and will also act as screens onto which Georgian exteriors and Georgian England will be projected.
The costume designer has visited Fairfax House and will be designing the costumes around the colours of the House.
There have also been creaking floorboards to sort out and a local joiner has been called into Fairfax House to tighten up the offending boards and the bottom flight of the main stairs carpet will be replaced with coire matting which is regarded as more fitting for the early 17th century settings of Crusoe.
Peter Brown, Director of Fairfax House was delighted that the House had been chosen as a filming location. He said: “We have worked very closely with the production team over the last few months to ensure that the alterations they need to make in order to shoot scenes do not affect the fabric of the House.
“Some compromises have had to be made. For example the crew wanted to burn a significant letter in an open fire. As all the chimneys are capped in the House this is not possible so we have agreed that a mock fire arrangement will be staged and then one of the Georgian fire grates will be moved across to The Black Swan pub in Peasholme Green, York where they can light a real fire.
“We look forward to seeing the end results and will be posting production pictures and more details about viewing times on our website at in due course.”
The Fairfax House 2008 season runs from Saturday 9 February through to 31 December 2008 (closed 24, 25, 26 December for Christmas). For more information pick up a brochure or go to www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk
Ends
Press Contacts:
Melanie Paris
Tel: 01904 647408
E mail: hello@melanieparis.com
Peter Brown
Tel: 01904 654443
Email: peterbrown@fairfaxhouse.co.uk