As with those two stories, filming for Wonka was focused on The Cobb, the breakwater that dates back centuries but was most recently rebuilt in the 1820s. Curving around the harbour, it provides a grand entrance for Willy as he arrives on top of his van, having disembarked from his travels around the world on a steamship.
The part of the boat was played by a 1930s steam drifter called Lydia Eva, a former fishing boat that also served time in the Navy, brought down from its mooring in Great Yarmouth for the job. Due to the shallow waters around Lyme Regis, it couldn’t in fact go under full steam in the location, so scenes were also shot back in its home.
The roof and Tower of St Albans Cathedral viewed over the ornamental lake and trees in Verulamium ParkJohn Lawson/Getty Images
St Albans
For scenes of Wonka and Noodle in a fairground, the production took over Verulamium Park in St Albans, a 100-acre expanse that was formerly part of the Earl of Verulam’s estate. With the snow and bright lights added alongside a smattering of CGI, we see it transformed but the lake, constructed in the 1930s, and bandstand are also on view. Filming in the town also took place at Abbey Mill Lane, a pretty street close to the Cathedral, and to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, which claims to be the oldest pub in England.
The Rivoli Ballroom is the only intact 1950s ballroom remaining in LondonSam Mellish/Getty Images
London
While the Wonka team mostly avoided shooting in London, they did make exceptions. One was for scenes shot at Eltham Palace to the south of the city, the 1930s Art Deco mansion seen recently in Stan & Ollie and The Crown, and a favourite for noughties period pieces including Brideshead Revisited, Bright Young Things and I Capture The Castle.
The other was the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, also in the south. This former cinema was converted in the 1950s into a dance hall and has remained largely unchanged since the era, with red velvet and chandeliers giving the full period experience. It’s featured in The Avengers, gangster movie Legend and Killing Eve, as well as hosting Strictly Come Dancing and video shoots for Elton John, Tina Turner and Lana Del Rey. For Wonka, it’s the perfect backdrop for one of the film’s exuberant all-singing, all-dancing extravaganzas.
Wonka will be released in cinemas on Friday 15 December 2023
