SALTAIRE was awash with cameras and film crews today as it became the backdrop to a new BBC production of one of Bradford-born dramatist JB Priestley’s most famous plays.

An Inspector Calls, set in 1912, is a mysterious detective thriller considered to be one of the classics of 20th century theatre.

In the storyline, a man calling himself Inspector Goole unexpectedly visits the wealthy Birling family, interrogating them following the suicide of a young woman in the town.

As their world unravels, each member of the family is revealed to have unwittingly played a part in her demise.

During today's filming, Salts Mill doubled as a mill owned by the Birling family, with scores of extras in period costume adding to the cast, which is led by David Thewlis, star of Harry Potter and War Horse.

Howard Ella, producer of the new film, said choosing Saltaire to shoot the mill scenes was a “no-brainer”.

He said: “An Inspector Calls is a classic drawing room play, but on screen you need to see the world the characters inhabit.

“The key thing is that the Birling family have a mill, and that is where they have made their money.

“You need a scale and atmosphere that really sells the world they live in, and so when you’re shooting in Yorkshire and you need a mill scene, Saltaire is a no-brainer.

“I’m a Yorkshire lad anyway, so it was my first suggestion.

“It’s a heritage town, so nothing has changed. It was an obvious place to come, and it’s absolutely stunning on camera.”

Mr Ella said Yorkshire had enjoyed a “renaissance” in TV and film in recent years, due to the range of backdrops the region can provide.

“Yorkshire has a huge amount to offer, you can do moorland or coast, period or modern, without travelling very far,” he said.

“Bradford and West Yorkshire offers great period properties, and it can be used to portray other cities, such as Bradford being shot as New York in the past.

“Finding buildings of a period that haven’t been changed is one of the strongest things this part of Yorkshire has to offer.

“It’s also really film-friendly. We bring a circus to town with lots of trucks, but everyone on location is always really great about it and happy to help.

“It’s lovely to be able to film in Yorkshire, and there is a little bit of smugness being here in my own county.

“It’s great to see Yorkshire on television. It was so busy here last year, and 2015 looks like being busy again, so there’s definitely a renaissance for TV and film in this area.”

As well as David Thewlis as the Inspector, the all-star cast also features Ken Stott, star of The Hobbit and Rebus, as Arthur Birling, and well-known actress Miranda Richardson as his on-screen wife, Sybil.

Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Mr Stott as he filmed scenes in and around the mill. Ahead of the three-day Bradford International Film Summit, which starts on Wednesday, Bradford UNESCO City of Film Director, David Wilson, was also on-set to watch the drama unfold.

“It is certainly a coup for the area to have a big BBC production here today, and long may it continue,” he said.

“As part of the International Film Summit, we will be discussing with regional partners such as Screen Yorkshire, and also international guests from China, South Korea and Bulgaria, how we can collaborate and bring more productions to the region.“In terms of feature films, we’ve seen three or four here in the last year, and double that amount for TV dramas, which is phenomenal.

“We’ve got the infrastructure, and when you look at the locations around Bradford and Yorkshire, especially for period dramas like this, it’s a ready-made film set.”

Among the extras was Katie McEwan, of Saltaire, who played one of the workers at the Birling mill. “I’ve been a supporting artiste for about 15 years, but this is the first time I’ve ever filmed on my own doorstep,” she said.

“I grew up here and came to Salts Mill on school trips, so it has been amazing filming here. I’m very proud this production has chosen to film here in Saltaire, it’s great.”

Produced by Drama Republic and directed by the award-winning Aisling Walsh, An Inspector Calls has been adapted by the critically acclaimed playwright Helen Edmundson and will air on BBC One later this year as part of a season of classic 20th century literature.

Lucy Richer, commissioning editor for BBC Drama, said: “The mysterious and elusive Inspector Goole has fascinated audiences for generations, and David Thewlis is the perfect actor to bring him to life.

“We’re delighted that he, Ken Stott and Miranda Richardson are heading up this stellar cast to bring one of the nation’s favourite stories to BBC One.”

Aside from yesterday’s filming, the four-week shoot is also taking place in North Yorkshire.