September 1 • 2019 The Mail on Sunday^19
The extras
Benedict
and Claire
could do
without!
Lights, camera ... but
possibly no action as
travellers arrive on set
Parish councillor Peter St Ange,
who runs the Sea Cafe a little fur
ther along the coast, said: ‘I knew
nothing about the filming, but I do
know the camp has upset a lot of
people in the area.’
It is unlikely the travellers are
aware of the potential problem
their site poses, as filming has
been kept a closely guarded secret.
Last night, none of its residents
wished to comment.
A spokesman for Louis Wain Productions, the company set up to
make the movie which is backed
by Film4 and due to be released
by Studiocanal next year, said:
‘We are very aware of the situation
but have absolutely no comment
to make.’
Dover District Council said: ‘Weare working with our partners at
Kent Police and English Heritage
regarding travellers in the Deal
and Walmer area.
‘We are following due legal pro
cess and have served notice on
travellers at Walmer Green to
vacate the site.’By Mark Wood
THE Alist cast is in place, the crew
and cameras are organised and the
location secured.
But the producers of Louis Wain, a
bigbudget movie starring Benedict
Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, are facing
an unusual problem – an illegal gipsy
camp has sprung up just where they plan
to shoot vital scenes.
Four weeks of filming for the biopic,
which tells the story of Wain, a Victorian
era artist famous for his drawings of
cats, are due to start in the coastal town of
Deal in Kent tomorrow.
But about 15 caravans, several vans and
at least two trucks were recently parked
on Walmer Green, an area of grassland
owned by Dover District Council close to
a stretch of shingle beach where scenes
are due to be shot.
Since the arrival of the travellers, the
area has become strewn with rubbish and
debris.
A source involved in the filming said:
‘The location manager knows about it and
is livid. Where the travellers are situated
will be a backdrop in some scenes. Unless
the travellers are moved on quickly, it
could throw everything into chaos.’
The travellers, who arrived shortly
NEW TO
THE SCENE:
The travellers’
camp is near
Coast House
B&B, ringed and
left, a key location
for the filming.
Above: Benedict
Cumberbatch
and Claire Foy in
an Instagram
picture publicising
the new moviePHILIP IDEbefore last weekend’s Bank Holi
day, are thought to be part of a
larger group who had previously
set up camp in Margate about 11
miles to the north.
It is understood that Cumber
batch, who is playing Wain, and
Foy – cast as the artist’s wife, Emily
- are due to be on set in Deal for
one week during filming, which
will involve using expensive cam
eras and equipment on location.
The cast also includes such
famous names as Toby Jones,
Andrea Riseborough and Julian
Barratt. Some scenes were shot
in London last month.
Producers have hired a privately
owned bed and breakfast property
called Coast House for the dura
tion of the Kent shoot and plan to
film inside the Regency house,
which is located about 150 yards
from the travellers’ camp.
Owner Bernard Thomson, 65,
said: ‘I’ve spoken to the producers
and know how concerned they
are. I think they chose the area
because it is relatively unchanged
since the Victorian era. They plan
to shoot scenes featuring a horse
drawn carriage close to the beach.
I doubt very much that they will
want to see a load of white cara
vans in the background.
‘Hiring extra security is already
being looked into. The council
should have acted far more quickly
to get rid of the travellers, who seem
to be able to ride roughshod over
everyone. The area is gaining a
reputation among filmmakers who
bring a lot of money to the area.’‘The camp has upset a lot
of people in the area’