News / television
Major new drama series filming at Bristol Cathedral
A major drama series telling the story of the most famous queen from English history is currently being filmed at Bristol Cathedral.
Becoming Elizabeth depicts the struggles of Elizabeth I as she seeks to take control of her own destiny from the men around her.
The eight-part series, created by screenwriter Anya Reiss and starring German actress Alicia von Rittbergwill in the title role, will premiere on StarzPlay later this year.
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Reiss said: “Drama seems to skip straight from Henry VIII’s turnstile of wives to an adult white faced Gloriana – missing out boy kings, religious fanatics, secret affairs and a young orphaned teenager trying to save herself from the vicious scramble to the top…
“I should have found it hard to relate to 500-year-old royalty but Elizabeth lived in dangerous, polarising times and often made terrible hormone-fuelled decisions. I’ve found writing her story a thrilling experience.”
Bristol Cathedral became Westminster Abbey for the coronation of Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall – photo: Heather Cowper / Wikimedia Commons
Elizabeth I – the last Tudor monarch – was born in 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
She succeeded to the throne in 1558 and reigned for 45 years until her death in 1603.
Bristol Cathedral can trace its history back to the foundation of an Augustinian Abbey on the site in around 1140, with Henry VIII playing a prominent role in its story.
Its medieval nave was being rebuilt but it was never finished because Henry dissolved the abbey in 1539.
Recent dramas filmed in Bristol Cathedral have included Wolf Hall, Sherlock and The White Princess – the latter starring Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer as Elizabeth of York.
Starz CEO Jeffrey A Hirsch said: “The world of Becoming Elizabeth is visceral and dangerous – judgments are rendered quickly and no one is safe.
“This series explores the Tudor reign and young Elizabeth, who would become England’s ‘Gloriana’ and one of history’s most dynamic figures, through a new lens which we think viewers will find highly engaging.”
Security staff were positioned around the cathedral while filming was taking place inside – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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