Fear stalks the set of Requiem with dead birds and sand in bed
BBC Lydia Wilson (L), Carl (Oliver Lansley), Meredith Dean (Jane Thorne) and Matilda (Lydia Wilson) (R)
The new six-part BBC One drama series deals with an apparently haunted house in Wales and the disappearance of a young child. While the narrative is not based on a real case, it seems the cast and crew experienced “spooky”, unexplained incidents during the shoot. A programme spokesman said: “We did notice a few spooky goings-on during filming. We kept discovering dead birds. They play a part in later episodes. We also found a lot of mirrors that had smashed by themselves. “Lydia [Wilson, who plays the lead character, cellist Matilda Gray] also went to bed one night and woke with sand in her bed with no knowledge of how it got there – she had not been near any beaches. She still has no knowledge of why it happened.”
We did notice a few spooky goings-on during filming A programme spokesman
Creator and writer Kris Mrksa (The Slap; Secret Life Of Us) found his inspiration for the drama in horror films from the late 1960s and 1970s, such as Rosemary’s Baby, Don’t Look Now and The Innocents. “I’ve never been a big fan of chainsaws and monsters,” he said, “but I’ve always been an enormous fan of the more low-key, psychological horror thrillers that toy with the audience’s psyche, and the protagonist’s psyche. These are films that are terrifying and powerful, but not in the conventional way. "There was personal inspiration, too. The first kernel was the death of my mother – I realised that a whole part of my life had died with her.Losing a parent is a loss that strikes at one’s identity. Identity is something that I have always been fascinated by.” Joanna Scanlon, who plays Matilda’s mother, said she hopes people will experience a “real thrill” when they watch the series.
BBC Lydia Wilson wakes up one morning to find sand in her bed