Hard-hitting BBC drama Three Girls, the true story of three girls drawn into the frightening world of sexual exploitation, will air on BBC One over three consecutive nights this week, after being filmed in Bristol last year with the support of the city’s Film Office.
Beginning on 16 May, Three Girls tells the story of three of the children who were victims in the 2012 grooming and sex trafficking case in Rochdale. Made with the full cooperation of the victims and their families, it aims to tell the victims’ stories; how they were failed by authorities directly responsible for their protection and how the abuse has impacted on their lives.
Coordinated from a production base at The Bottle Yard Studios, the drama filmed on location across Bristol from the end of June until August 2016, with Bristol Film Office providing locations, permits, unit base bookings, parking and general shooting logistics support, whilst also overseeing a consultation process between producers, police, residents and local councillors, briefing those in filming areas about the sensitive nature of the series’ subject matter.
Written by Nicole Taylor (The C Word), Three Girls is produced by the same team as the acclaimed and award-winning BBC drama Five Daughters including director Philippa Lowthorpe (Call The Midwife, Jamaica Inn), producer Simon Lewis and Executive Producer Susan Hogg. Cast includes Maxine Peake, Lesley Sharpe, Paul Kaye, Lisa Riley and Jill Halfpenny.
Council offices on Temple Street doubled as Liverpool Crown Court, whilst Bristol Register Office was used for interior community meeting scenes. Filming also took place in Victoria Park, Eastville Park and streets in Hartcliffe, Knowle, Easton, Bedminster and Redcliffe. (See Editors Notes for list.)
It’s important with a shoot of this kind that filmmakers not only receive logistical support, but are also enabled in every way possible to demonstrate their consideration for those residing in areas where filming is taking place, who may be affected by such challenging subject matter. The Film Office liaised between key local partners and the public to ensure communication was good and all the right preparations could be made. Filming was kept discreet and ‘under the radar’, as locations were not disclosed to the media at the time of production.
Natalie Moore, Bristol Film Office
Philippa and her team are no strangers to bringing sensitive true stories to the screen – it was a pleasure to support their expert handling of this production, and to support their return to Bristol where they made the BAFTA-winning Five Daughters eight years ago, also based at The Bottle Yard Studios.
Holly (Molly Windsor) is new to Rochdale and keen to make friends and fit in. She finds herself drawn into a world she cannot escape, despite her pleas for help. It’s a world that is all too familiar to sexual health worker Sara (Maxine Peake), who has been recording and reporting cases of child abuse for years.
Three Girls will air on 16th, 17th and 18th May on BBC One.