The famous faces who filmed at Beamish for Virginia Woolf movie

Beamish’s streets, trams and shops double as Edwardian London in the new film, and these three are among the best‑known actors to have walked its cobbles for the production.

Director Tina Gharavi (right) and Haley Bennett who stars in the film. (Image: BRIDGE & TUNNEL PRODUCTIONS)

Here’s a look at what they’re famous for, and who they play in Night and Day:

Lily Allen – pop star turned actor

Lily Allen is still best known to most people as a chart‑topping singer, breaking through in the mid‑2000s with hits like Smile and The Fear and becoming one of the defining British pop voices of that era.

She has since built a parallel career as a writer and performer, publishing a memoir, working in television and moving into acting on stage and screen.

Her recent work in theatre has been widely praised, marking her shift from pop star to serious actor in the last few years.

In Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day, Allen appears in a supporting role within the film’s Edwardian social world, trading the stage and studio for the period streets of Beamish.

Her character moves through the salons and drawing rooms that are recreated in and around the museum, helping to bring to life the gossip, wit and social pressures that surround the film’s central love story and its questions about women’s choices and independence.

Timothy Spall – one of Britain’s most recognisable character actors

Timothy Spall is one of Britain’s most familiar screen actors, known for his work in everything from Mike Leigh dramas to big‑budget franchises.

Many viewers will recognise him from films such as Secrets & Lies, Mr Turner and his long‑running role as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter series, as well as numerous television appearances over several decades.

His ability to shift between quiet, character‑driven dramas and larger‑scale productions has made him a stalwart of British film.

In Night and Day, Spall brings that experience to an Edwardian setting, playing an older figure within the story’s network of families and institutions.

On the recreated London streets at Beamish, his character embodies the weight of tradition and expectation that younger characters have to push against, adding depth and gravitas to scenes that balance romance with questions of class, duty and change.

Timothy Spall was one of the stars who descended on Beamish Museum to film Night and Day. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

Haley Bennett – Hollywood lead bringing Woolf’s heroine to life

American actor Haley Bennett is best known for her leading and supporting roles in major films on both sides of the Atlantic.

Audiences may know her from projects ranging from music‑driven drama and psychological thrillers to high‑profile period pieces, where she has often played complex, emotionally rich characters.

That mix of screen presence and nuance has made her a popular choice for literary and period adaptations.

(Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

In Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day, Bennett takes on the central role inspired by Woolf’s heroine: a young woman whose keen intelligence and passion for astronomy sit uneasily alongside the expectations of Edwardian society.

She is at the heart of the scenes filmed at Beamish Museum, moving through the “London” streets, shops and trams as she navigates family demands, suitors and the pull of scientific work.

Her performance anchors the film’s blend of humour, social observation and quiet rebellion, helping turn a North East museum into the backdrop for a classic story.