Sartaj Singh
‘Patrick Melrose’ follows the titular character across various stages of his life, from facing abuse as a child to grappling with addiction and starting a family. Born into an aristocratic household, Patrick has a privileged upbringing at his family’s French estate, but one which is scarring because of the frequent abuse from his father. As a young adult, Patrick goes to New York but finds himself drowning in substance abuse as the issues from his past catch up to him. He comes back to his home in London to get his life back on track, controlling his addictions and eventually getting married.
Based on the autobiographical novels by Edward St. Aubyn, the show paints a harrowing portrait of a man faced with isolating darkness from his past, resorting to self-destructive behavior in an attempt to free himself from its tendrils. The 2018 Showtime series contrasts its sobering themes with a sharp sense of humor delivered expertly by Benedict Cumberbatch. The picturesque period-accurate settings serve to further immerse us in the world of ‘Patrick Melrose.’
Where is Patrick Melrose Filmed?
Locations around London, England; Glasgow, Scotland; and Vaucluse, France, serve as filming sites for ‘Patrick Melrose.’ Principal photography began in August 2017 and was wrapped up for the first season by January 2018. Patrick Melrose was the dream character actor Benedict Cumberbatch wanted to play. He was familiar with Edward St. Aubyn’s work, and much of the production team appreciated the depth he brought to the character. “Benedict is the perfect Patrick Melrose,” said actress Jennifer Jason Leigh in an interview. “He has the wit, he has the intelligence, he can do anyone’s voice.”
London, England
Most of the show is filmed in the bustling capital city and its surrounding areas. The production team coordinated with filming locations company FilmFixer, which provided services and prepared many of the show’s filming sites for the first season. Cameras rolled in Peckham Liberal Club, which stood in for the Pembridge Church Hall in Notting Hill. Situated at 24 Elm Grove, Southwark, sequences of Melrose’s Narcotics Anonymous meetings are captured here.
In August 2017, 80 cast and crew members ventured to a private home in Camberwell Grove, which depicted Melrose’s London house. All the sequences in and around said house were captured on the private property and along the neighborhood of Camberwell Grove. The scene of Melrose using a phone box was captured behind Freemasons Hall in Wild Court.
Parts of London, especially interiors, stood in for locations of Manhattan seen in the show. The Drake Hotel’s interior segments in Manhattan were captured at the Senate House on Malet Street in Camden. In January 2018, 50 production team members shot scenes at the Freemasons Hall on Great Queen Street in Camden. In the show, the location is presented as a mourning suite, reception, and hall in Manhattan, where Melrose goes after his father’s death.
Provence, France
The story of ‘Patrick Melrose’ transports us to France at various time periods, and all of these segments are captured in the Vaucluse department of Provence in southeastern France. Sequences of Patrick’s childhood in the 1960s take place in an idyllic estate surrounded by greenery, with colorful vines growing high on stone walls. This location is actually Chateau Unang, an 18th-century mansion and estate situated on the outskirts of the village of Malemort-du-Comtat.
The show also features the quaint Sainte-Foy Chapel in Méthamys, a 15th-century structure near the Gorges de la Nesque. When Melrose talks to his ailing mother, the hospital seen in the backdrop is situated in the historical town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Further filming sites in Provence include the Avignon Provence airport at 335 Avenue, Clément Ader, and a rustic stretch of country road between the communes of Lioux and Sault.
Glasgow, Scotland
The streets and structures of Glasgow stand in for much of 1980s New York, as seen in ‘Patrick Melrose.’ The Scottish city was chosen as a filming destination owing to its Victorian architecture and grid-style layout, which matched their intended setting. When Patrick first arrives in New York and is stuck in a traffic jam comprising a stream of yellow cabs, the scene is actually shot on Cochrane Street and from one of the buildings overlooking it.
While a London site simulated its interior, the exterior of the posh five-star Drake Hotel, where Patrick stays during his New York visit, was created using the Scottish Legal Life Assurance Society building at 95 Bothwell Street. The building across the road at 100 Bothwell Street stands in for the lower-budget Midtown hotel Patrick stays in after his funds begin to run dry. The funeral home where Patrick collects his father’s ashes was externally represented by the building on 149 St Vincent Street. Further down the road at 200 St Vincent Street, the scene of Patrick entering a gentleman’s club was captured. When he walks down the street with his father’s ashes, the backdrop is that of West George Lane.
The production team swept and cleaned the area of Hogarth Park on Carntyne Road before shooting Patrick’s meeting with the drug dealers there. When he and Marianne exit an Armenian restaurant, the background is that of Sauchiehall Lane, between Hope Street and Wellington Street. While scouting for locations in the city, director Edward Berger ate at the famous Rogano restaurant at 11 Exchange Place. He decided to include it as a filming site owing to its unique maritime decor, and a scene of Patrick wining and dining was shot there. The restaurant has unfortunately closed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
As opposed to cleaning their filming location like at Hogarth Park, the production team had to deliberately clutter Moncur Street, Kent Street and Suffolk Street. This was done to simulate the backdrop of the New York meat market seen in the show. The sequence of Patrick acquiring heroin at the market was lensed here. The team had to spend an entire day cleaning up after they were done filming in the area.
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