Success of Good Omens 2 could bring visitors to Bo'ness Hippodrome

The 1912 landmark building can be seen in Good Omens 2, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, and now streaming on Prime Video.

Filming in the Hippodrome, which is owned and run by Falkirk Council, took place in February last year, when locals caught glimpses of the stars among the cast and crew.

In the final scenes, the Hippodrome doubles as a West End theatre, where Crowley (David Tennant) can be seen lounging in the red velvet seats while Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) finds himself on stage with all eyes on him.

And it could follow other local areas which have seen film and television appearances create a boost in tourism – notably the Outlander series, which sent visitor numbers soaring for nearby Blackness Castle.

Alison Strauss, arts development officer (film and media) with Falkirk Council said she has been really looking forward to seeing the Hippodrome make its appearance.

And as soon as the show became available to stream, she jumped straight to episode four.

She said: “It was such a thrill to see the actors step from the streets of London’s West End straight into the instantly recognisable Hippodrome auditorium. The lovely red velvet seats and curtains are on show, as well as our in-house piano, and you can glimpse the distinctive pre-Art Deco paintwork in the wings of the stage.

“The set dressers have added their own touches – extra 1940s-style footlights and more red curtains concealing the café at the back, but it’s very much the Hippodrome in the spotlight. The whole scene adds up to about eight minutes of screen time, which is remarkable considering the crew were there setting up and filming for five days.

“They made a great job of leaving everything as they found it and people will be pleased to know there’s no trace of the bullet hole in the wall!”

During filming, the production crew took over McMoo’s ice cream parlour, directly opposite the Hippodrome, to use as a green room.

Owner Rebecca Nikolai said: “We were so happy to be asked. We’re really passionate about Bo’ness and we were just delighted that Bo’ness was picked as a filming location.

“It was all hush hush and none of the staff were in but it was really exciting for the team to know they were in the parlour.”

Filming for the Amazon Studios production all took place in Scotland, including in Stirling’s Old Town graveyard and on Broad Street; Bathgate’s Pyramids Business Park studios; and Edinburgh pub The Cask and Barrel on West Preston Street.

The Bo’ness area is no stranger to film crews and residents will also be hoping to catch another glimpse of their home town on the small screen when a two-part Christmas special based on Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder is Easy’ is due to be screened.

The A-listed Hippodrome, brainchild of film-maker Louis Dickson and designed by local architect Matthew Steele, was opened on March 11, 1912 and is a rare example of pre-art deco cinema architecture, as well as being Scotland's oldest purpose-built picture house.