Starring role in three films for one of Yorkshire’s best- kept secrets
UNTIL JUST a couple of years ago it was one of Yorkshire’s best- kept secrets – but now Birdsall House is set to be seen on the silver screen alongside the talents of John Cleese, Liz Hurley and Kelsey Grammer.
Hidden away in its own private valley on the edge of the Wolds, only a privileged few had been lucky enough to visit the stately home, which has been in the same family since it was built in 1540, until 2018 when owners decided to open the main wing of the house for weddings and events.
Like every wedding venue across the UK, Birdsall House, near Malton, North Yorkshire, was ready for a quiet summer after the Covid- 19 pandemic caused a national lockdown in March. However, production company MSR Media chose it as the location for three films. My
Dad’s Christmas Date was partly filmed at Birdsall earlier in the year, while Father Christmas is Back – starring Cleese, Hurley, Grammer and Caroline Quentin – and Miss Willoughby have been shot at
the house under strict Covid- 19 regulations, with a large cast and crew forming isolation bubbles for up to five weeks.
Quentin said: “Birdsall manages to combine complete luxury and elegance with the warmth and charm of a real family home.
“What a lovely family, what a beautiful home.”
Earlier this month, Quentin also announced to viewers of BBC One’s The One Show, from Birdsall House, that she would be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Meanwhile, speaking to Variety magazine, Frasier star Kelsey Grammer said: “This has been a terrific experience. Although Covid presented a new set of challenges, we were able to work very effectively through new standards of film production.
“I would urge my family of actors at SAG- AFTRA ( The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) to take a page out of the British playbook; we can responsibly get back to work.”