The BBC adaptation of JP Delaney’s 2016 novel The girl before is one of the most notable dramas in the 2021 festive TV lineup. The four-part psychological thriller revolves around a woman who moves into an ultra-minimalist north London townhouse on One Folgate Street. In the show, the property was designed by a controlling architect and holds troubling secrets about the house’s previous occupant. But, is One Folgate Street a real place?
In short, yes, One Folgate Street is a real street in Shoreditch, London. However, the house featured in the drama is actually a television. (Read: not a real house, so forget to hope for AirBnB anytime soon.)
Speaking to the BBC before The girl before debut, the author of the original book – who also created, wrote, and produced the TV adaptation – shed light on how the minimalist style house he had imagined while writing, the story came to life on set.
“I had a mood board on the wall of my office while I was writing The girl before “, Delaney revealed. “I had about 40 pictures and I remember when I went to the BBC for the first meeting I took all those impressions away and started tossing them on the floor of the Commissioner’s office.”
Delaney added that he knew the final set “probably wouldn’t” be built the way he had imagined, after realizing that “you don’t hire someone brilliant and tell them to do it your way, you hire them and you let them do it.
In an interview with Dezeen in 2017, Delaney said the strongest character of The girl before “Is the house” and revealed that the decision to base the story in a modern, minimalist house was intentional.
“It’s a very interesting place to set up a psychological thriller … I thought it was interesting to take this gothic horror house tradition that is so overworked and turn it around and make sure that Gothic goosebumps come from the fact that it’s not dark and gnarled and cluttered but it’s actually the reverse of it: empty and austere and beautiful but incredibly demanding of the occupant, ”commented Delaney.
the four part BBC drama follows the story of a woman named Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who is fortunate enough to move into a beautiful minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect known as Edward (David Oyelowo). However, Jane soon discovers that the house has a dark history linked to its former resident, Emma (Jessica Plummer). The discovery of dark secrets on the property leaves Jane wondering whether or not she will meet the same fate as the girl from before.
The girl before will air for four consecutive nights on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday 19 December and ending Wednesday 22 December.
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