Perhaps Kent’s biggest role yet, 2023 sees our very own Margate taking centre stage as the setting for Academy Award winning director and writer Sam Mendes’ latest release, Empire of Light, starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward and Colin Firth. With its beautifully portrayed characters, and story that tells the tale of love, life and the power of human connection and community, we couldn’t have been more excited to see Kent’s coastal town star as the backdrop to this moving drama. (You can still catch it in cinema’s now, and look out for it’s release on Disney+ later this month...)
But this isn't the only time that Kent's been seen on the big screen. Here we take a look at Kent’s scene-stealing moments in the film, as well as a history of Kent’s crowning moments on screen over the years in celebration of the 2022 awards season…
Dreamland Margate AKA The Empire Cinema
With its art-deco architecture and role as one of the UK’s most treasured seaside destinations, it’s no wonder Mendes placed Dreamland as the backdrop to Hilary and Stephen’s relationship, which reflects the pop-culture, passions, and turbulence of the 80s. Starring as the faded Empire Cinema, Dreamland can be seen throughout, first and foremost bringing Hilary, played by Olivia Colman, a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen, played by Micheal Ward, a new employee facing adversity and racial tension in 1980s Britain, together through the power of film and music.
With shots of Dreamland’s iconic frontage, the wonderful set of the ballroom (prepare for some sensational views), and even the rides themselves, you won’t need eagle eyes to spot its close-ups. While the Dreamland rooftop isn’t open to the public, the view of the Margate seafront is instantly recognisable as Stephen and Hilary stand high above the town ringing in the New Year. Insider tip, we recommend pulling up a chair at Dreamland’s Cinque Ports pub and restaurant for slightly lower down, though no less beautiful, sea views.
The roller rink scene which sees Stephen and the Empire team spin across the floor, is also instantly recognisable as Dreamland’s Roller Room, a favourite retro disco where visitors can still test out their moves! While the Empire’s neon sign has since been switched back to Dreamland’s own name in lights, it doesn’t take much imagination to envisage some of the key shots from the film once you arrive in Margate. As tension builds in the second half of the film, we get a long glimpse of Dreamland’s art deco frontage as the Empire prepares for its greatest moment yet, the premiere of 1981 drama Chariots of Fire.
Margate
As for why Margate was chosen, it’s no surprise that for this visually stunning film, it was all about its aesthetics. Mendes has highlighted the visual inspiration that has drawn creatives to the town time and time again, from J.M.W Turner, to T.S. Eliot, “I was drawn to this particular place because it offered so much opportunity in the scale of the visual landscape. It’s where J. M. W. Turner painted most of his famous paintings – he went there because he said that the skies were the finest in Europe. It’s where T. S. Eliot wrote The Waste Land, sitting in a bus shelter just outside of the cinema looking out over the beach and the grey sea that sits beyond. There’s a breadth about the place, which gives it poetry and a cinematic scope.”
It's no shock then that Mendes used that very shelter in one of the film’s most reflective scenes as Stephen looks out over the tidal pool, contemplating his relationship with Hilary, with those Margate skies stretched out across from him.
The beach and the tidal pool, however, is all Margate. The steps down to Margate Main Sands are of course the location where Stephen has a heart to heart with Neil, his ever-caring and humorous co-worker, over tea (infinitely re-creatable with Margate’s many nearby cafes), and the Harbour Arm is lit up from above as fireworks rain on NYE. But one of the moments that truly moved us features the tidal pool as Stephen and Hilary skim stones and discuss their very different childhoods, life, and the turbulence of the 1980s Riots.
By using the Empire of Light Film Locations Map, you can find the exact spots where movie magic has taken place in the coastal town, as well as additional things to see and do in the nearby area. Embrace the retro feel of the film, the wonder of the coast, and follow in the footsteps of Stephen, Hilary and the loveable Empire team.
Kent’s filming credentials…
With its typical British seaside town streets and beach front, nearby Broadstairs and its surrounding area is often the location for a coastal day out for British films and TV shows. Ricky Gervais' Derek came on a group beach day out, Maggie Smith's Lady In The Van spent two days along Viking Bay while eating Morelli's gelato, and Hollywood romantic comedy Juliet, Naked filmed throughout the Isle of Thanet for a lot of its exterior shots - you can see Broadstairs everywhere!
When it comes to tales about the Tudors, Kent is the go-to location for big and small screen adaptations. Leeds Castle, Penshurst Place and Dover Castle have all had starring roles in the likes of much-lauded miniseries Wolf Hall, and The Other Boleyn Girl, where costumes from the film are still on display at Penshurst Place. It's only fitting that filming for Mary Queen of Scots also took place at one of Kent's best preserved manor houses as Queen Elizabeth I frequently visited this perfectly preserved manor house. As the backdrop for Mary's execution the house has a solemn role in the film, but the gorgeous formal gardens has a rich history and looks dazzling on a spring day - it's far more cheerful off screen! But Penshurst’s most well-known cameo takes place in their Baron Hall, as the backdrop for Inigo and Count Rugen’s final duel in The Princess Bride. Say it with us… “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die".
Staying in West Kent, it’s no surprise that Gary Oldman’s powerhouse performance as Winston Churchill would be filmed at Churchill’s former home, Chartwell. Darkest Hour depicts Churchill’s personal battles rallying the country during World War II, which you can uncover more about with a house visit at Chartwell when it reopens for it’s 2023 season at the end of February – Oldman even scooped up the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in 2018.
But Kent is no stranger to hosting Oscar-winners – you can walk in the footsteps of Kate Winslet, who played paleontologist Mary Anning in critically-acclaimed Ammonite, opposite Golden Globe award winner Saoirse Ronan. While much of the film was shot in Dorset, you can also spy scenes in Charing and the Historic Dockyard Chatham, owing to its unique setting.
Lovers of a period drama should also note that it was our very own Groombridge Place that provided a beautiful backdrop for the lavish 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. You can clearly spot the 17th-century moated manor that was chosen to be Longbourn, the Bennet’s family home. The Kentish landscape lends itself to bringing these atmospheric classics to life - since Swale provided inspiration for Charles Dickens himself in the 1850s, the misty, mysterious marshes across Elmley Nature Reserve were obvious location choices for key scenes in the 2012 big screen adaptation of his classic novel, Great Expectations.
