FOCUS talks to Sophie Varnava of iconic London film location Alexandra Palace.

Sophie Varnava is responsible for all the filming bookings at Alexandra Palace and works closely with the events and catering team to ensure that productions are well executed and they leave having a memorable time. She joined the Sales Team in June 2013.

Sophie, you attended FOCUS 2016. What brings you back this year?

There was such a buzz at FOCUS last year and it was great for the venue to have a presence and be a part of that. Over the two days we got to meet so many new people and re-connect with location managers and familiar faces. It was a good platform to be able to talk about the filming possibilities we have here and opportunity to discuss the exciting developments that are going on at Ally Pally.

Please tell us about the incredible diversity and multitude of location types Alexandra palace can offer in just one location and in particular what you will you be promoting at FOCUS ’17?

Opened in 1873 as an entertainments venue for Victorian London, Alexandra Palace has been at the centre of extraordinary events for over 140 years including the  first regular television broadcast in 1936 by the BBC.

Its rich history adorns the fabric of the building providing a multi – location site for productions. With up to 9 interlinking and flexible indoor spaces that all have a different look and feel, the spaces lend themselves to alternative studio space and the opportunity for productions to film a variety of scenes, decades and seasons all onsite.  Alongside our indoor space, we have 196 acres of park, woodland areas and boating lake, Victorian basements, an on-site pub and cafes, Ice Rink and Unit Base all set against a panoramic view of London’s skyline.

In addition to all of our current available spaces, we are very excited to be promoting our Victorian Theatre at FOCUS this year. The Victorian Theatre, dating back to 1875, is currently undergoing restoration works and will be brought back to life as an adaptable performance space for up to 1,300 which can be used for a range of community, cultural and commercial events including filming, operetta, theatre, cinema screenings, live comedy, acoustic music and corporate entertainment. We are very excited for the opening in Autumn 2018 and can’t wait to see what productions it will bring!

Apart from the variety of locations you have available, what facilities (parking, storage, production offices, catering, toilets etc..) add production value for producers interested in using Alexander Palace as a location?

We have up to 1,500 car parking spaces onsite that are separated into 6 Unit bases. The ease of access makes it a great option for filming onsite and offsite and allows us to accommodate a number of productions at any one time. We are not limited to breakout areas and our closely located rooms means that we can always offer spaces that can be used as production offices, holding areas and green rooms. We also have three dedicated dressing rooms that include showers for any talent. The West Hall and Great Hall are the two main spaces and have road level access, rigging facilities and the West Hall has blackout.

Our experienced in-house catering team can cater to all your needs and we also include a crew catering area throughout tenancy. In terms of toilets, we have over 180 so there are plenty to accommodate

Can you give me an example or two of productions that has achieved great production values by using multiple locations and facilities at your location?

This Autumn we were very proud to be featured in the Death of Stalin directed by Armando Iannucci and BBC One’s new thriller RELLIK who both used multi-locations on site.

 The Death of Stalin filmed in our Ice Rink which made it into the trailer and they also filmed a separate scene, using the doors underneath our Rose Window, which was to re-create a getaway scene outside a concert hall. They also took over our East Car Park as their base which is situated in-between both locations and enabled a seamless production load in / loud out.

 We were also featured in RELLIK who used three different locations in the Park to suggest they were filming in different parkland across London. They turned the meadows into a grave yard and built playgrounds in unused verges and on our South Slopes. They also filmed in the play center which is located in the Grove park. As they were filming locally, it also meant that they could continue to base with us while not shooting onsite which was convenient for their schedule.

In a sentence, how would you describe FOCUS to a producer friend thinking of attending FOCUS for the first time?

FOCUS is definitely a ‘must do’ for your diary and offers the opportunity to meet new people, get up to date with the latest industry trends and be inspired.

How do you like the FOCUS venue, exhibition layout, organisation and facilities?

The venue layout worked well by separating all the different areas of interest, making it easy for the  attendees to navigate themselves around the spaces  – it didn’t ever feel cramped and there was still enough space for networking and catering areas. The breakouts were also a nice size for the presentation. As the show grows, we think this would be a perfect fit for Alexandra Palace.

Alexandra Palace will be at Stand L68 at FOCUS 2017. To meet them register for your free delegate badge here.