Gypsy Girl

 

Filming of the CITV Series Gypsy Girl shown in February 2001


From the books
The Parsley Parcel
Gold and Silver Water
A Riot of Red Ribbon

 

These photographs were taken when I visited the film set at Bushey on 10.06.2000

 


This is Gemma Gregory, the bright young girl who plays the Romany girl Freya.


Jim Tomlinson played Freya's brother, Tashar. I was quite cross about the horse at the time because a Romany man would most likely think a white horse far too 'girly.' Most Gypsy men prefer a piebald horse, preferably lucky one with one whire foot. Film and General chosethe horse because it had blue eyes, and would appeal to the girls!


This is Olivia Winstone, who played Freya's gorgio (Non Gypsy) friend Mary.
The waggon is a bow top, the kind Freya's great-gran owned in the Gypsy Girl books.


I like all the little details on this photo. The washing on the line, the pots and pans, the waggon dogs who stay outside the waggon and sleep under it. The are considered 'mokadi,' which means unclean. (Because they can lick their bottoms!)


Setting up sound and light equipment.


Setting up the camera track and sound.


Checking film, light and sound levels.

Marcus White, the film producer, wants something changed in a hurry!

Checking sound and light with actor movements.

The film crew give last minute instructions for the first take.

The first take of a chat between Freya and Mary.

Marcus White and his number one co-ordinator (I forget her title…sorry!) check that the take is okay and logged properly.

The camp set up with the white horse that I wished was pie-bald.

A distant view of the film set.

Two more waggon dogs, off-set. Each set of animals had a minder to look after their welfare. (So did the child actors!)

Gary Webster who played 'Kokko George.' Gary even brought a violin so he could practice the arm movements for filming! (There was a double who played the actual music.)

Freya and Mary (Gemma Gregory and Olivia Winstone,) were best friends off set as well as on set.

Eleanor Bron played Freya's great-gran brilliantly.

Setting up the set for the wedding party filming.

Putting the boards down for the dancers. Most of these were professional dancers, not actors.

The little boy in the turquoise shirt had waited hours for his part in the filming. (With his dad who was his minder.) He was one of the violinists.

More set checking and arranging!

Are the boards stable enough…too noisy…at the right angle, etc.

The dancers try them out.

The 'Romany band' practice their movements.

First take of the 'wedding party.'

Chat and practice between takes.

The filming begins again. These are professional dancers.

I take a last shot of the set as I leave.