The Power filming in Suffolk led to £35k-a-day spend

A TV drama filmed in Suffolk led to an estimated 10,000 hotel stays and a spend of about £35,000 each day it was in the county, a film office said.

The Power was filmed at Bawdsey and tells the story of women who develop the power to generate electricity, which can kill with only one touch.

Screen Suffolk said it recruited local people, including cleaners and extras, which helped generate the income.

The Power, starring Toni Collette, is on Amazon Prime Video from Friday.

Screen Suffolk, which is council funded, managed the filming in Bawdsey where they built a huge convent that was used as a key part of the story, based on the feminist novel by Naomi Alderman.

Rachel Aldridge, from Screen Suffolk, said it was contacted by Sister Pictures, which was looking for a coastal location for an "ambitious set build".

"We manage filming for several landowners in East Suffolk and we took the location manager and art director to one of our favourite spots in Bawdsey - they loved it," she added.

"It was all hands to the pump after that as there were four short weeks until the production moved in."

Screen Suffolk was involved in building the set, which took about two months to put together in a field in the Suffolk village.

During filming, 300 crew members were bussed in from a nearby former RAF station.

With so many people to cater for, and filming often taking place at night, a number of local companies were employed to cater to their needs.

George Pennell, from Suffolk-based cleaning company Vivo Clean, said his staff had "a surreal experience" and "thousands of hours of paid work" during the pandemic.

"Our 'cleaners' corner' was in the marquee shared with the extras," he said.

"It became commonplace to see a member of our team sharing their lunch break with a nun or a police officer."

Another local company, Hero Site Solutions, provided toilets, including "VIP toilet trailers" and waste disposal.

Ryan Adams, who lives in Ipswich, was one of a number of extras in the production, with roles on shows ranging from Poldark to EastEnders.

Being an "action performer", he applied for a part and said: "The next thing I knew, I had been booked for a run of nights over at the location base in Bawdsey."

His role in The Power is a member of the hostage rescue team within a SWAT team of the Charleston County Police Department which saw him working closely with military advisors, armorers and the stunt department.

A Screen Suffolk spokeswoman said: "Economically, over 10,000 hotel nights were booked in Ipswich by the production, and local suppliers recouped thousands of pounds in business.

"Per day for a production of this size, Creative England's rate card [detailing costs] estimates a daily local spend of £35,000 a day."

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