Ahead of the release of season 2, we get exclusive access to the set and some of the show’s leading cast members – including Victoria Smurfit, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer and David Tennant
Victoria Smurfit pictured at the Irish Gala Screening of Disney+ Rivals Season 2 at the Light House Cinema Dublin. Picture Andres Poveda
Walking onto the set of Rivals, a woman’s piercing scream rings out across the grounds of a stately Cotswolds manor. Is it a cry of agony or ecstasy? On this show, it could go either way.
It’s a chilly November night and the TV adaptation of the late Jilly Cooper’s “bonkbuster” novels is shooting a pivotal showdown for its second season, which launches on Disney+ on May 15. The crew are seven months into the 10-month filming schedule, and we arrive in the middle of a week of night shoots for a bonfire night party scene at The Priory – the O’Hara family home. Almost the entire cast has gathered, typically filming until 1am each day.