Candis - Behind the Scenes, Lark Rise to Candleford

It's 9.30am on the set of hit BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford and Julia Sawallha, who plays vivacious, independent postmistress Dorcas Lane has just been laced into her corset and decked out in a high-necked blouse and long skirt by a wardrobe assistant. It creates a miniscule waistline, as befits a Victorian lady, but Julia makes light of the discomfort. 'I've worn this corset for three series and it's like an old friend now,' she says. 'Though I must admit I'm not too keen on some of the fashions and hairstyles that Dorcas wears. I think it was a very unflattering period – everything was so formal and buttoned-up!'

The programme is set in 1897, and based on the semi-autobiographical trilogy of books by Flora Thompson. The stories are seen through the eyes of young Laura Timmins, who comes from the rural hamet of Lark Rise and goes to work with her mother's cousin, Dorcas in bustling, go-ahead Candleford and experiences torn loyaties between age-old traditions and the new opportunities that are opening up for women.

Olivia Hallinan, who has been playing Laura since the first series in 2007 says she really enjoys it. 'Today's media portrayal of young women can sometimes seem to be that they're outrageous ladettes, so it's refreshing to play a girl like Laura, who is quite reserved but has a determined, feisty character. Young people were innocent for longer in those days and there was so much joy over the simplest things. And I love the sense of neighbourliness in the programme – the way that young and old people mix in together and learn from each other.'

Julia and Olivia have already been in hair and make-up for an hour and a half and this site, known as 'unit base' is buzzing with activity. There are 85 people involved in today's shoot, ranging from sound and camera technicians to make-up artists and drivers, as well as the cast and extras, or 'supporting artists' as they're now called. A catering van is doing a brisk trade supplying porridge and fry-ups to fortify everyone for the 12 hour day ahead.

The actors' trailers, production offices and catering are all based here. Nearby are two other sites, one being the set of the village of Lark Rise, the other the town of Candleford. The filming takes place in beautiful, rolling countryside near Bath, but the exact locations are kept top secret, to avoid them being overrun by devoted fans.

The scene filmed this morning is at the Lark Rise set, which has been built by the props department and is astonishingly realistic, even close-up. It involves a dispute about ownership of a prize pig, in which the Candleford folk confront the Lark Risers. The player of this particular starring role is two-year old Lady, provided by Pam Weaver whose agency Almost Human supplies animals for film sets. 'She's very gentle and loves being with people, so I'm sure she'll enjoy the day,' says Pam.

As shooting begins it soon becomes apparent that patience is an vital characteristic for work on a film set. The director is a perfectionist and talks the cast through exactly how he wants the arrival of the Candleford people to be choreographed, and how the dialogue should be delivered.
The scene is rehearsed and then shot from different angles. Then the director decides he wants more light and some strapping electricians, or 'sparks' as they're known in the industry, erect a tripod of ladders to support an additional lighting rig. Then the scene is shot again and again, using different camera angles and focusing on different characters each time. Later, in post-production, decisions will be made about which version to use. In the meantime the cast keep have to keep their acting as fresh as it was the very first time – or ideally, fresher. This process is repeated for every scene – it takes twelve 14 hour days to film a single hour-long episode of Lark Rise to Candleford.

This particular scene features a new character, Gabriel Cochrane, a handsome stranger with a tragic past who brings mystery and a frisson of romance to Candleford. Richard Harrington, who plays him has thoroughly enjoyed joining the show. 'I've been given some gripping storylines and as far as the cast and crew are concerned, I couldn't have wished for a warmer welcome.'

In between takes the hair and make-up ladies swoop on the cast and extras to check if they need touching-up. 'I love working on period dramas,' says Hair and Make-up Designer Lesley Faulkener, who leads a team of four. 'You can be so creative. And we're very lucky in our supporting artists – the guys are willing to grow beards and even mutton-chop whiskers so they look authentic for the time period. And the ladies accept that they're not allowed to dye their hair.

Samantha Jenkins, 28, works part-time as a supporting artist whilst also studying at University. 'It's great because there's a lot of hanging around, so I can bring my textbooks and revise for exams,' she says. 'And my mum adores the fact I'm in this programme – she scans every crowd scene looking out for me.'

The time pressure is on, as the child actors in the scene are only legally permitted to work for a set number of hours a day and the part of the scene involving them has to be completed by then. Thankfully, it's completed on schedule and they can go off with their tutors to the trailers where they have lessons to ensure their schoolwork is kept up to date.

It's late afternoon before the main cast and crew make it back to unit base and a dinner of lamb stew, veggie curry or plaice is served. Copies of new scripts are handed out and the cast pounce on them. ''We only get scripts one episode ahead,' explains Oliva. 'So when they arrive we're all longing to know what's in store for our characters.'

The break is only temporary though. Soon everyone is whisked off in a fleet of cars to the Candeford set to film an evening scene between the characters of Alf and Minne, which is scheduled to end at 10pm. But at least it's not a night shoot. They are filmed between 6pm – 6am and many of the actors find it throws their body clock completely out. 'At 3am it can be difficult enough not to walk into the furniture, let alone act,' admits Julia. 'But there's a huge sense of cameraderie on set and we all keep each other going.'

It's dark when shooting finally ends and the techical crew pack, who've worked a 14 hour day, pack their equipment away. There's the sense that it's been a tough but rewarding day. Ben Aldridge, who plays journalist Daniel Parish sums it up, 'Everyone really cares about the series and cares about the viewers. Lark Rise to Candleford has won a place in the nation's hearts because although it's set in the past the stories deal with issues such as love, money worries, and the ups and downs of family life, which are just as relevant to us in the present.'