Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Supacell’ is a unique superhero TV show that grounds the genre by unfolding the story from the perspective of everyday people. The story focuses on five individuals who discover that they have superpowers, but this doesn’t change their lives overnight. While trying to control their powers and test their limits, these people have to go about their lives, dealing with the problems that existed before their powers showed up. As their paths converge, several locations become important, one becoming the meeting spot for the heroes while the other becoming the villains’ lair. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Fictional Onyx Club and Ashington Estate are Crucial to Supacell’s Plot
The events of ‘Supacell’ take place in South London, and the show depicts several real locale places. However, the Onyx Club and the Ashington Estate are both fictional locations. There is a real Onyx club, but it is in greater London. There is also a volleyball club with the same name in West London. Both these real things have no connection to the fictional club depicted in the show. In the same vein, there is a building called Ashington House in the Collingwood Estate in Bethnal Green in London. It is a six-story residential building not connected to the estate presented in the TV show. There is a real town called Ashington in England, but it is in Northumberland and is several hours away from London.
While the show may have used fictional names to depict its locations, it actually used real locations in South London to present an authentic experience to the audience. The crew set up shop in the locales of Deptford, Peckham, and Thamesmead to present a mix of different settings to serve the background of the variety of characters, all of whom have a different life in front of them and a completely different set of challenges that sets apart their story.
The show’s creator, Rapman, was keen on filming in real South London locations because he wanted to repaint the picture of the place and present it in a new light, compared to its generally chaotic and gloomy representation in media. Having been born and raised in the place, he wanted people to see it for its vibrant, energetic, unapologetic vibe while exploring the varied experiences of its protagonists.
The show continues this theme with Onyx Club and Ashington Estate by presenting two places on opposite spectrums. One is a lively place where the heroes find a safe haven; the other is a seemingly desolate place that hides a terrible secret in its underbelly, becoming the hive for the villains to continue their heinous activities. Rapman wanted to bring forward this contrast, though in exaggerated terms to suit the genre of the story.
Read More: Netflix’s Supacell Shot: Exploring All Filming Locations
