Celtic noir drama shows mudflats of Newport in a new light

The Welsh capital is often used as a setting for film and television drama, as are the country's mountains, forests and coastlines, but a city sometimes considered Cardiff's poorer relative is starring in a new Welsh-language Celtic noir drama.

- Steven Morris

Newport, with its muddy river and post-industrial landscape, is the backdrop for Ar y Ffin (meaning on the edge or on the border), a twisty tale about a magistrate who uncovers a web of criminality, putting herself and her family at risk.

Hannah Thomas, Severn Screen's head of drama and the series producer, said Newport, perhaps best known for its transporter bridge, was always viewed as central to the show. "I think we're showing Newport in a really unexpected light. Visually we've gone after the harsh lines of the architecture. Tonally, we've leant into the mudflats and we've tried to make a show that feels urban and authentic.

"Visually, it's a gorgeous city. It's my shame I've not spent that much time there, even though I'm 10 or 15 minutes away in Cardiff. You tend to go through it on the train, but it's really beautiful and lovely. The people are unfailingly friendly and have enjoyed having us around, and I think it's great to put a lens on somewhere that hasn't been photographed before."