Ridley Road: Historic BBC drama series filmed in Bolton gets release date

Ridley Road, starring Tamzin Outhwaite, Rory Kinnear and Eddie Marsan, is a four part series based on a novel by Jo Bloom which tells the story of a young Jewish woman who goes undercover at a fascist organisation in sixties London and will air on October 3.

The setting will be familiar to viewers in Bolton, with crews having filmed crucial scenes on Le Mans Crescent and Silverwell Street in November last year, with the familiar locales have been transformed into stunning recreations of 1960s London.

Silverwell Street remade into 60s London

A BBC spokesperson said: “Ridley Road is a thriller set against the backdrop of a swinging sixties London we haven’t seen, an East End world where far-right fascism is on the rise.

“When Vivien Epstein follows her lover into danger and he is caught between life and death, Vivien finds herself going undercover with the fascists, not only for him but for the sake of her country.”

That backdrop was made real last year as Silverwell Street was adorned with vintage cars, taxis and a retro police box in order to recreate the look and feel of the 1960s while crews were also in action at Le Mans Crescent.

Film crews at Le Man Crescent 

Ahead of its premier, series writer Sarah Solemani says believes the themes explored in Ridley Road remain just as relevant today.

She said: "Britain's relationship with fascism is closer and more alive than we like to think."

She added: "Luckily, so is our rich heritage of fighting it. Jo Bloom's gripping book revealed a darker side of sixties London and the staggering contribution the Jewish community made in the battle against racism.

"I am thrilled to be working with RED and the BBC to bring this little-known slice of British history to the screen."