Naman Shrestha
Created by Matthew Barry, Showtime’s ‘The Guest’ is a British thriller series that centers on the evolving dynamics between a cleaner named Ria Powell and her employer, Fran Sharp, who is a successful and wealthy entrepreneur. When the former is hired by Fran to keep the house clean, Ria can’t help but feel captivated by the charm and self-confidence exuding from the self-assured woman, who motivates her to determine what she wants in life and work towards it.
Taking her employer’s advice, Ria begins to take control of her life and forms a close bond with Fran over time. Sooner rather than later, their friendship eventually upends when shared secrets begin to emerge and they find themselves in an intense game of cat-and-mouse. Starring Eve Myles, Gabrielle Creevy, Emun Elliott, and Julian Lewis Jones, the show is primarily set in and around Fran’s mansion located in Wales, as the friendship between Fran and Ria takes several twists at every other corner of the house.
The Guest Filming Locations
The entirety of shooting for ‘The Guest’ is conducted in different parts of Wales, specifically in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Barry, Pontyclun, Llandow, and the towns of Bridgend and Llantwit Major. According to reports, principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the thriller series got underway in September 2024 and went on for a couple of months before wrapping up in December of the same year. Emun Elliott, who portrays Richard, opened up about his experience of shooting in Wales in an interview with BBC Media Centre. He stated, “…Aside from the landscape and the locations in Wales, the people were fantastic. I never worked in Wales before, but there was a real warmth that I felt immediately from both the cast and the crew.”
Cardiff, Wales
The capital of Wales — Cardiff — served as one of the prominent production locations for ‘The Guest.’ In the first episode of the series, Ria is seen attending her friend’s birthday party at a pub, which is the Master Gunner at 61 Gabalfa Avenue. Another bar was also turned into a film set for the shoot — the Gin and Juice at 6 Castle Arcade — where Ria and Mike go on a date in the first episode. Fran and Ria hold a conversation over a coffee in the Maple & Bean cafe at 28 Morgan Arcade. Mattancherry Canton at 153 Cowbridge Road East was also redressed aptly for shooting purposes. The Cardiff Central Police Station, located on King Edward VII Avenue, hosted the production of several interview scenes.
In order to portray a Cardiff Bay apartment, the filming unit utilized the seventh floor of Voco St. David’s Cardiff by IHG as well as the Ocean Reach Apartments, both situated on Havannah Street. The Parkgate Hotel on Westgate Street doubled as the hotel where Fran and Richard stay for a while. It is in the commercial area of The Hayes, where Ria and Fran first meet, with the Hayes Island Snack Bar in the backdrop. The properties in Coed Pengam and the Beech House in Hollybush Estate also feature in a few scenes. Various important portions were also recorded in and around Storage Works at 325-327 Penarth Road, a barber shop on Pontcanna Street, James Street Bus Stop, and the area near the former Nos Da Hotel on Despenser Street.
Across the city of Cardiff, the cast and crew members took over multiple streets and neighborhoods to tape numerous interior and exterior scenes, such as Wenallt Road, Fitzhamon Embankment, Clare Road, Mill Road, West Canal Wharf, Alice Street, Brook Street, Despenser Street, Cefn Coed Road, Firs Avenue, and Tudor Lane. Moreover, the streets in the Cardiff city center area, and seemingly Victoria Park on Victoria Park Road East, also make an appearance in ‘The Guest.’
Newport, Wales
A significant chunk of ‘The Guest’ was also taped in the city of Newport, situated on the River Usk. Located in Goldcliff, the Grade II-listed property, the Whitson Court, doubled as the fictional Maybury Court, Fran’s lavish house, where Ria works as a cleaner. The cast and crew members were also spotted taping several scenes in and around The Storage Group on Usk Side Business Park, Church Street, and the Westgate Hotel on Unit 6 Commercial Street in the city of Newport.
Swansea, Wales
Nestled on the southern coast of Wales, the city of Swansea is also one of the filming locations of ‘The Guest.’ One of the places where shooting took place is Rhossili Beach, the world-renowned sandy beach on the Gower Peninsula. The 2.8-mile stretch offers mesmerizing views of the Worm’s Head promontory and ranks among one of the world’s best beaches. Thus, the team gravitated towards the beach and utilized its stunning scenery to tape the scenes set along the coast.
A few scenes of the Showtime production were also captured at The Old Rectory at Rhossili Bay, just above the Rhossili Beach. The cast and crew also moved to the interiors, particularly on the road running between Cilibion and Reynoldston, to tape a few scenes. Known for its old-world charm, Reynoldston is a quaint village on the Western slopes of Cefn Bryn in the heart of the Gower Peninsula in Swansea.
Barry, Wales
For the purpose of filming, the team of the British thriller series also visited the coastal town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It served as the shooting destination for the emotionally charged sequences of the show, heightening the atmospheric unease and perfectly capturing the psychological tension and sense of isolation of the characters. The Savoy Snooker Club on Broad Street doubled up as the regular snooker club where Lee and his friends usually hang out. A pivotal attack scene was lensed against the authentic backdrop of a Premier store on Barry Road. The production team utilized the industrial aesthetic of Barry Satellite Telecraft on Thompson Street for filming additional scenes of ‘The Guest.’
Other Locations in Wales
Additional portions for ‘The Guest’ were also captured in multiple other locations across Wales, including Hensol Castle in Castle Park in the town of Pontyclun. The scenes involving the Bristol apartment and Oakwood Care Home were shot in and around the castle. Furthermore, the Old Farmhouse in Llandow and the Filco Supermarket at 19 Boverton Road in the town of Llantwit Major served as filming sites for the thriller series. The production team also reportedly set up camp in Dragon Studios, located in the town of Pencoed in the county borough of Bridgend. Home to a total of five sound stages, the film studio also features 100,000 square feet of support space, two private woodlands, office space, workshops, and a backlot area, making it an ideal production location for a wide range of projects.
