The Sunderland pub which is becoming a 'little Hollywood' in a new drama featuring Emmerdale star Charlie Hardwick

The Museum Vaults on Silksworth Row and the flat above are settings for scenes in a short film called Where It Ends. One of its stars is former Emmerdale actress Charlie Hardwick.

It was written by its star Jack Robertson who plays Jack, an actor desperate for work who has to play a pantomime tour of the North East with his stage partner Lauren, played by Lauren Pattison.

The big catch is that the shows are off-season and must be performed in dementia homes where, to say the least, audiences are tough.

The Museum Vaults, opened in 1871, was filled with about 40 cast and crew during filming earlier this year. A karaoke scene was shot there; something which never happens in the pub in real life. The setting for the home was Langham Tower on Mowbray Road.

Production Company Tiger Aspect is behind the project. Their credits include The Vicar of Dibley, Benidorm and the film Billy Elliot. Where It Ends is in a series of 10 short comedy dramas.

The Museum Vaults, already famed for its cask ale, Guinness and pickled eggs, is becoming something of a little Hollywood.

It was chosen by Tiger Aspect on the back of another short film called Checked Mates, set around a chess game and also shot in the pub. It was produced by north East video company Media Borne.

Sara Wilson, licensee of the Museum Vaults, just left the Where it Ends production team to it.

She said: “Checked Mates was done here. That meant that when the people from Tiger Aspect were looking for a location the guy who wrote it, Mark Kenny, put us forward because he’d been involved.

“We were thrilled to be chosen as the location. They were very nice people. We’ll be very interested in being chosen again when Sunderland has its new film studios.”

In March the Museum Vaults was one of three Sunderland pubs named as being among the ‘best bars in Europe’ after a survey.

Where it Ends will be broadcast on BBC3 on Monday, June 12 at 9.15pm, but can be seen now on the BBC iPlayer. It contains strong language.