Plenty of drama has been witnessed in the old Bolton Magistrates Court over the years — and the theatrics are set to continue in the historic building as a film crew moves in next month.
The court house has been selected as the perfect location for a film adaptation of Franz Kafka's classic tale 'Before the Law ' which is being produced by the award-winning Greater Manchester based Serious Feather.
The Pigeon Tower in Rivington also features in the short film, with crews on the search for a "a dungeon-like interior" equally as "evocative and resonant as Pigeon Tower".
Now with the help of Bolton Council, the production team has secured the old magistrates court, which stopped hearing real life cases in 2017.
"We were so worried that we weren’t going to find a compelling gothic interior which would suitably match the wonderful Pigeon Tower in Rivington as our exterior," explained writer and director, Brett Gregory.
"However, as if by magic, the marketing and communications team at Bolton Council introduced us to the Old Magistrate’s Court on Le Mans Crescent on March 20th, and it's fantastic!".
The landmark location has been used many times by film and television crews over the years, such as for ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Happy Valley’, as well as for the controversial Jimmy Savile drama starring Steve Coogan, ‘The Reckoning’.
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Director of photography, Gwyn Hemmings said: "The holding cells beneath the court are like something out of ‘The Silence of the Lambs and it’s going to be very exciting to bring them to life with lights, camera, action."
The production team is also behind the internationally acclaimed Manchester feature film, ‘Nobody Loves You and You Don’t Deserve to Exist’, which was released in 2022.
Brett said: "Bolton, which has recently been announced as Greater Manchester's 'Town of Culture' for 2024, is an ideal working environment for filmmakers and media producers throughout the region and beyond.
"It’s historical, evocative, accessible and, maybe more importantly, extremely supportive."
The story looks at Britishness, bureaucracy and bigotry.
The shooting of ‘Before the Law’ at the Old Magistrate's Court will take place at the end of May.
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