Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the eponymous 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill, Starz’s ‘The Listeners’ is a suspenseful British drama series directed by Janicza Bravo. Rebecca Hall portrays Claire, a popular English teacher who begins hearing a low, constant humming noise that no one around her seems to hear. What seems harmless at first turns disastrous as it begins to affect her relationship with her husband, Paul, and her daughter, Ashley. The noise also leads to Claire suffering from nosebleeds, migraines, and insomnia.
Even the doctors can’t seem to find the source or medical explanation for what the teacher is going through. A glimmer of hope appears when she learns that one of her students, Kyle, is also hearing the same humming sound she has been hearing. An unlikely friendship develops between Claire and Kyle as they embark on a mission to learn more about it. However, their friendship soon transforms into something extreme that might have devastating consequences. Although the narrative revolves around the noise the protagonist hears, the visuals and the remote settings also help isolate the characters further.
The Listeners Filming Locations
Production on ‘The Listeners’ was conducted in its entirety in England, specifically in Greater Manchester and Cheshire. From what we can tell, principal photography for the drama series got underway in August 2023 and seemingly wrapped up by early 2024. The writer, Jordan Tannahill, took to social media and shared his experience collaborating with the cast and crew members. He stated, “An incredible group of artists is working on this show, both on camera and off. It has been a joy collaborating with the entire @element_pictures team, including @chelsea_morgan, @iamdargavel, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, as well as executive producer @alice_birch, one of my writing idols.”
Greater Manchester, England
A major chunk of ‘The Listeners’ was reportedly lensed across the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester, located in North West England. Various streets and neighborhoods in the city of Manchester were turned into film sets to shoot important scenes for the Rebecca Hall starrer. In particular, the Space Studios on Vaughan Street in the Gorton area of Manchester served as a primary production location. Spread across 17 acres, the purpose-built film studio is home to six acoustically treated sound stages, workshops, purpose-designed dressing and make-up facilities, laundry, onsite catering, and production facilities. The cast and crew members also took over the premises of the Urmston Grammar School on Newton Road in the town of Urmston.
It doubled as the school where Claire works as an English teacher. In an interview with BBC, Gayle Rankin, who portrays Jo, was asked about her experience of shooting in the Northwest of England. She responded, “It feels like home. Manchester’s a major city to be adjacent to, it feels a lot more like where I’m from, which is Glasgow. To be shooting something in an ambiguous world but to be grounded in a very real place is a cool experience.” From what we can tell, additional portions were also recorded in the spa town of Buxton, located just south of Greater Manchester.
Cheshire, England
In order to fill the visual canvas of ‘The Listeners,’ the production team also traveled to west of Greater Manchester, to the ceremonial county of Cheshire. The suspenseful sci-fi aspect of the narrative took the makers to the Jodrell Bank Observatory, situated on Bomish Lane. It is a part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. According to reports, the cast and crew members spent a couple of days, making the most of the large telescopes and the lush green spaces in the surrounding areas.
The filming unit also set up camp at an actual property in Cheshire to depict many pivotal sequences of third and fourth episode of ‘The Listeners.’ Apart from the drama series, the ceremonial county has also hosted the production of multiple film and TV projects over the years. Some of the notable ones include ‘Anemone,’ ’24 Hour Party People,’ ‘The Black Prince,’ ‘Dandilicious,’ ‘The Witness for the Prosecution,’ and ‘The Irregulars.’
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