While the filming of Indiana Jones continues across Glasgow city centre this week, just nearby a new ITV crime thriller is being shot.
This Monday, camera crews have appeared on Argyle Street outside new Glasgow gastropub The Duke's Umbrella for upcoming series Karen Pirie.
The exciting home-grown cold case crime thriller is an adaptation of the hugely successful Val McDermid’s The Distant Echo, with a cast including Outlander star Lauren Lyle.
This new drama series, from the critically acclaimed and award winning producers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, is centred around DS Karen Pirie - a young and fearless Scottish investigator with a quick mouth and tenacious desire for the truth.
Val McDermid has sold more than 16 million copies of her novels and has form of working with TV productions to really translate her work to screen. Traces, based on McDermid’s novel of the same name and set in Dundee, set the UK media alight with positive reviews of the show and awe-struck views of the city’s on-screen glow up.
The Distant Echo was published in 2003 and is book one in the Karen Pirie series and ITV has ordered three, two-hour drama episodes of the adaptation set in the Scottish university town of St. Andrew’s.
Following her promotion to Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, Karen is tasked with reopening the investigation into a murder that has been the subject of a provocative true crime podcast. Teenage bar person Rosie Duff was stabbed to death in 1995 and suspicion fell on student Alex Gilbey and his three best friends when they discover her body in a cemetery. Despite police suspicion, the boys were never charged. Nearly 25 years later, Fife Police mount a cold case review and Pirie is determined to uncover what happened that fateful night.
The team behind The Duke’s Umbrella say they expect its onscreen debut 'to serve as an opportunity to show off the eatery’s luxurious, old-money styled interior and the selfie-worthy feature walls, it has a mean and moody vibe, a perfect atmospheric feel for intimate get togethers, parties, not just TV productions, adding the venue is available for private hire, exclusive dining and next month hosts a crime thriller themed Book Swap Brunch for 50 people'.
General Manager Craig McKay said: “Glasgow’s proving popular for filming locations, though we haven’t had Harrison Ford in yet, you never know, he might just make an appearance.
He added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming the production team and stars to the restaurant, with that is our first time hosting a drama production and we hope the cast and crew have time for a bite to eat and a cocktail after filming ends.”
The series is filming across Scotland and is adapted by Emer Kenny (Harlots, Save Me Too) who will also take the role of Karen’s friend River Wilde, ‘Karen Pirie’ also stars Chris Jenks (Sex Education) as Jason ‘Mint’ Murray and Zach Wyatt (Blithe Spirit) as DS Phil Parhatka.
The Duke’s Umbrella is also hosting a Bookface Book Swap Brunch on Saturday, August 7, featuring a special Q+A with award winning crime writer Lisa Gray. For more information and to book tickets you can visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bookface-book-swap-brunch-tickets-160217495843
