Naman Shrestha
With James McNamara, David Maher, and David Taylor at the helm of creation, Hulu’s ‘The Artful Dodger’ is a historical crime drama series that is a spin-off that features characters from ‘Oliver Twist’ written by Charles Dickens. Set in the 1850s, the narrative focuses on a former pickpocket named Jack Dawkins, referred to as the Artful Dodger, who has decided to put his fast and steady fingers to good use by becoming a surgeon.
With the arrival of an old acquaintance named Fagin returns, Jack’s haunting past catches up with him and tempts him to get back to his old ways. Meanwhile, Lady Belle, the Governor’s daughter, poses a greater threat to the heart of the Artful Dodger. Given the historical setting against the backdrop of some interesting locations, many of us cannot help but be curious about the where and the how of the production of ‘The Artful Dodger.’
The Artful Dodger is Filmed in New South Wales
‘The Artful Dodger’ is filmed in its entirety in Australia, especially in New South Wales, with the State Government providing the much-needed financial support. With the production for the inaugural iteration getting underway in November 2022, it took the filming unit about four months or so to wrap up the shooting, in late March 2023. So, allow us to provide you with a detailed account of all the specific sites that served as production locations for the Hulu series!
New South Wales, Australia
The shooting of most of the pivotal sequences for ‘The Artful Dodger’ takes place in New South Wales, an Australian state situated on the east coast of the nation. To be specific, the filming unit takes the production to the capital of the state, that is, the city of Sydney, where they set up camp in different areas to tape several important scenes. For instance, the cast and crew members were spotted by various onlookers and passersby as they recorded some key portions for season 1 in the suburb of Rookwood, near the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere — Rookwood Cemetery at 1 Hawthorne Avenue in Rookwood.
As per reports, multiple scenes for ‘The Artful Dodger’ are also lensed in a warehouse studio in the suburb of Parramatta, located a few miles west of Central Sydney. During a conversation with News Corp Australia Network in November 2023, Maia Mitchell, who portrays Lady Belle, explained her experience shooting for the historical drama series’ first season. She stated, “We were in Parramatta, in this warehouse studio in the middle of summer in several layers of clothes and just not really breathing for six months, but honestly it helped. It was a physical reminder constantly.”
Mitchell elaborated further, “And also, my character, Lady Belle, is a bit of a rebel and doesn’t really consider herself much of a lady at all. So, it was fun to play with the uncomfortable nature of the costumes and live in that and let that show. It was good, but it was very hot and so sweaty. We would have AC vents just pumping directly under our skirts at moments. It was chaos.”
Moreover, upon the picture wrap for season 1, one of the co-creators, James McNamara, shared his gratitude and experience of the shooting process in a social media post. He wrote, “…What an extraordinary privilege to get to work alongside such a brilliant, talented, dedicated, and joyful cast and crew. My eternal thanks and gratitude.” Given the vast and versatile landscape of New South Wales, it has served as a production location on several occasions. For instance, besides ‘The Artful Dodger,’ its locales have been featured in ‘The Legend of Molly Johnson,’ ‘The Water Diviner,’ ‘Robbery Under Arms,’ and ‘Turkish Ice-Cream.’
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