The Cage on BBC One: Filming locations 'shine a light' on 'one of the greatest cities in the world'
It's been used as a backdrop for other famous cities including New York, London, and Birmingham
The Cage is a BBC One “high-stakes, high-energy crime story” set within the world of an inner-city casino with two “unforgettable characters at its heart” – and the filming locations are just as memorable.
From Tony Schumacher, the creator of The Responder, this new crime drama is gritty, funny, and showcases the best of one of the UK’s most famous cities.
Actually, scrap that. Writer Tony describes it as “one of the greatest cities in the world” not just the UK. So where is The Cage on BBC One set, and what filming locations were really used?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Where is The Cage on BBC One set?
Creator Tony Schumacher set The Cage within the world of an inner-city Liverpool casino. Talking about the characterful new drama, leading star Sheridan Smith described it as a “Scouse Ocean’s Eleven”.
Appearing on The One Show, she said: “Leanne and Matty are the worst Bonnie and Clyde you could ever imagine. They are working in a casino, on the rob, thrown together in this predicament, winding each other up – they have a very funny relationship.
“It’s great to have two protagonists that, even though they are doing something morally wrong, the audience will still be on side.”
Where was The Cage actually filmed?
Cast and crew of thrilling five-part drama The Cage shot in and around Liverpool and Merseyside. And cast and crew filmed in real life casinos in the area.
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Talking about filming in Liverpool, Sheridan – whose character Leanne works as a cashier – told us: “We filmed in Liverpool. I love it there, it’s my favourite city. Everyone is so nice, and makes me so welcome. The crew were amazing. Producer Clare Shepherd and director Al Mackay created the most amazing set. It’s my favourite job.
“People are so friendly in Liverpool. We were filming one day, and people were bringing out cupcakes and coming out in their pyjamas offering us cups of tea at theirs. I do feel like an adopted Scouser. I just love that city from when I did Cilla. It was lovely being there with all the landmarks they’ve got. It’s just the coolest city to film in. We had fun.”
The Cage on BBC One filming locations: Is the Envoy Casino real?
Michael Socha portrays Matty Flynn in the cast of The Cage, and he is manager of the Envoy Casino. But it’s not actually a real casino. Production created the set of Envoy especially for the BBC One series. Although cast and crew did film some scenes in real Liverpool casinos.
Director Al Mackay described some of the challenges of filming in a casino set. He told us: “Fortunately, there was a disused casino in the centre of town. We had the framework and then it was just a case for production designer Paul Cripps to fill it. We didn’t want it to feel like a generic high street casino. It needed to feel like a family run casino with history – a little dated, in a way.
“We had lots of supporting actors and people with croupier experience. Everyone knew what they were doing and I could point the camera wherever I wanted and it felt like the real deal. The only issue was no natural daylight. As casinos are designed, it’s slightly disorientating. You get a bit of cabin fever when you’re in there for two weeks!”
Executive Producer Hilary Martin added: “Designer Paul Cripps build the casino set, and it’s a haven. It’s dimly lit and at the same time brightly illuminated. You’re getting to see behind the scenes of how a casino is run. You see both Leanne and Matty’s public personas and their interior lives and struggles, which creates an inclusive atmosphere for an audience.”
‘A casino is a stage – behind the scenes, it’s not glamorous’
Meanwhile, Executive Producer Christopher Aird said: “We’ve seen the Hollywood versions of casinos like in Casino and Ocean’s Eleven. And we were very clear from the beginning this would not be that – this would be a sticky floor version of that. We worked hard with our brilliant production design team to create a look that felt superficially glamorous that you get in any city in the UK, people going out and having a good time. We really wanted to emphasise that at the beginning of the show. In a way, a casino is a stage – behind the scenes, it’s not glamorous at all.”
For those of you not familiar with the insides of a casino, the cage is the place where the cashier “cashes up, collects the dough, and the money is counted”.
The Cage on BBC One filming locations: ‘Liverpool is like a character in itself’
Barry Sloane plays Gary Packer in The Cage on BBC One. The Bay actor described how thrilled he was that the job used his very own home town as a filming location.
Talking about shooting in Liverpool, he told us: “Shooting in my home, the city of my birth, is huge. I’ve been very fortunate in my career to shoot all over the world and travel around. That’s wonderful. But there’s great pride in me as a Scouser to perform stories with Liverpool at its heart. It’s a city that’s built on defiance and this show has that in spades.”
Detective Sergeant Fen Ning actress Sophie Mensah also has a special connection to Liverpool. She said: “We filmed in and around Liverpool City Centre. I was so excited to be filming in my hometown, this is where I grew up. We even filmed a scene in Chinatown where my grandmother came to in the 1940s from Shanghai. So it felt like a serendipitous moment for me. It’s also lovely to see Liverpool as Liverpool, rather than just being used as a location.”
Meanwhile, Freya Jones – who portrays Emily Flynn – added: “The Cage is something you wouldn’t want to miss. I loved Tony’s writing and The Responder was amazing. The Cage has that special quality as well. Cast and crew filmed around Liverpool, which is like a character in itself. It’s full of heart and there’s a character for everyone to connect to as well.”
‘Liverpool is one of the greatest cities in the world’
Merseyside-born Tony Schumacher, who also created The Responder, worked as a police officer and taxi driver in Liverpool before he was a writer.
He told us why Liverpool is the perfect filming location for BBC One’s The Cage. He explained: “The show is set in Liverpool because Liverpool is one of the greatest cities in the world. It used to irk me that Liverpool had become a bit of a set, as opposed to a location. It’d become a backdrop for New York, for London, Birmingham. That’s amazing because it brings loads of jobs, but I like the idea of shining the light on the city itself.”
“We’ve got some incredible talent here, in front and behind the cameras, and it’s just giving them an opportunity to work in the fields that they grew up in. It looks beautiful. Al Mackay who directed has got such a cinematic eye. It’s great that Liverpool isn’t having to put on a false nose and a pair of glasses. It can be itself. And that’s why I wanted it to be in Liverpool.”
Meanwhile, Executive Producer Christopher Aird enthused: “Liverpool has got such a vibe. Tony Schumacher’s life is so entwined with Liverpool that The Cage feels very authentic. We were shooting in locations that those characters really would live in. Ninety per cent of the locations we shot were found locations.”
Did The Cage film in Lake District?
Although Leanne and Matty are seen travelling to the Lake District in episode 5, cast and crew did not really travel there for The Cage. Instead, they filmed on Blackburn Road, between Darwen (Lancashire) and Bolton (Greater Manchester).
Production erected a sign labelled ‘Welcome to Cumbria’ on the road for the purposes of filming. It wasn’t the only time film crews were in the area either. Tockholes Road between the Royal Arms and A675 Belmont Road was also closed for filming.
Key filming locations used in BBC One crime drama The Cage
- Viewers will see images of the iconic Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, a Grade I listed, 13-story, 1911 landmark on Liverpool’s Pier Head. The building is renowned for its twin towers topped by the iconic, mythical Liver Birds, “Bertie” and “Bella”. They signify the city’s maritime, industrial identity.
- There are views of the Liverpool Waterfront, featuring the Three Graces – the Port of Liverpool Building, the Cunard Building, and the Royal Liver Building, which are situated at the Pier Head on the River Mersey.
- The Forum Cafe where Leanne and Matty talk is a real cafe in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside. The exact address is 1 Stanley St, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows WA12 9DP.
- The River Mersey also appears in the crime drama. Director Al Mackay said “being by the sea with the big blue skies gave the show a big part of its appearance”. Matty’s past is heavily linked to the Mersey and his house overlooks it, so being by the River Mersey plays into the story.
- Episode 2 of The Cage shows the Liverpool city centre skyline at night, including the St Johns Beacon.. In the same episode, there’s also aerial views of the large estuary in Liverpool Bay, and Matty seeks solace in Liverpool’s Otterspool.
- In episode 3, viewers see shots of Liverpool’s Chinatown, located near Nelson Street. It’s the oldest Chinese community in Europe, with roots back to the 1830s.
- Michael drinks away his sorrows in The Swan, Wood Street, Liverpool in episode 4. For years, the pub has been Liverpool’s most recognisable rock, metal and alternative bar, with a ‘legendary’ jukebox.
- Aerial shots in episode 5 include Everton Stadium (Bramley-Moore Dock), Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm, and Everton Park.
Top TV shows and movies also filmed in Liverpool
The Responder on BBC One. The gritty police drama was set and shot in Liverpool. Fans praised Martin Freeman for his authentic Scouse accent. It aired for two series between 2022 and 2024.
This City Is Ours. The 2025 BBC crime drama put Liverpool centre stage. Series 2 is coming in 2026, and continues to follow organised crime member Michael on his battle to the top.
The Irregulars. Netflix's 2021 supernatural crime drama was set in Victorian London, but actually filmed in Liverpool. The series followed a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes.
Peaky Blinders. The first four series of the gangster family epic set in 1900s England were filmed in Liverpool. Of course, fans know the BBC series kicked off in 2013 and centred on Tommy Shelby, and his gang of criminal misfits. The series used locations like Stanley Dock and Powys Street for 1920s Birmingham.
The Crown. Believe it or not, season 3 of the Netflix period drama in 2019 used Liverpool to double for Washington D.C.
Bread. Anyone over 40 should remember the classic 80s sitcom set in Liverpool. It followed the working-class family the Boswells. It ran on the Beeb from 1986 to 1991.
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