A familiar landmark in the Stroud district is set to feature on television as actor Charlie Cooper stars in The Reluctant Vampire, a new BBC comedy series partly filmed at the historic Woodchester Park Mansion.
The six-part production premieres on BBC One at 6.40pm on Sunday, October 4, according to the supplied listing. Its arrival gives audiences in Stroud and across the district an opportunity to look out for a local setting while following an unusual story about village life, relationships and the supernatural.
Charlie Cooper plays John
Cooper plays John in the series and joins an ensemble cast bringing a quirky vampire tale to the screen. He is best known for playing Lee ‘Kurtan’ Mucklowe in the acclaimed BBC comedy This Country.
The new programme centres on Susan, a woman who becomes convinced that vampires are living in her village. She sets out to rid the community of them, forming the basis of a warm, offbeat comedy that blends a supernatural premise with the relationships and tensions of village life.
For Cooper, the role is another major BBC appearance following the success of This Country. He co-created and starred in that series alongside his sister, Daisy May Cooper.
Woodchester Park Mansion provides a gothic setting
Filming took place partly at Woodchester Park Mansion, a historic building hidden within the National Trust’s Woodchester Park estate. The mansion’s atmospheric appearance provides what the production describes as a suitably gothic setting for the supernatural comedy.
That local connection is likely to be one of the series’ main points of interest for viewers around Stroud. Although the programme tells a fictional story about a village threatened by suspected vampires, its use of the mansion gives the district a recognisable presence in the production.
The Reluctant Vampire is based on Eric Morecambe’s 1982 novel of the same name. The book has been adapted for television as a warm and offbeat comedy combining village life, relationships and supernatural events.
Viewers can watch the first episode on BBC One at 6.40pm on Sunday, October 4, and look out for scenes filmed at Woodchester Park Mansion as Susan attempts to confront the vampires she believes are living in her village.