It’s been a while since we last updated you on our various activities on the River Thames.
So first and foremost we hope you and your families are keeping safe and well in these difficult times.
Despite the UK being plunged into various states of lockdown over the past eight months, it has still proved to be a very busy year on the River Thames for Livett’s across various service areas.
To bring you up to speed with what we’ve been up to, we are sharing a summary of our activities across two news posts. Part one of our lockdown round-up covers work surrounding River Thames filming, live music performances, and an eye-catching PR launch.
All projects strictly followed government guidelines, including COVID-19 risk assessments and the implementation of required safety measures both on board vessels and ashore.
River Thames Filming
The Date
An upcoming Netflix reality dating show featuring bemasked contestants, we contributed to The Date’s production with a day’s filming in September aboard Equity and Thames Limo.
Bollywood productions
We had the pleasure of working on not one, but three Bollywood productions during late summer between August and October. All three were night shoots, with filming successfully taking place across Butler’s Wharf Pier, Edwardian and Elizabethan.
The Girlfriend Experience
Filming for season three of the hit American drama took place in Canary Wharf’s West India Docks. The scene required the use of a drone, with Livett’s coordinating permissions and providing the vessel to launch the drone.
Shopping with Keith Lemon
Two of TV’s most recognisable faces – Keith Lemon and Gemma Collins – took to Butler’s Wharf Pier and the recently refreshed Edwardian for an afternoon tea on the river.
Part of the new series of Shopping with Keith Lemon, the episode was broadcast on ITV2 on 25 October and is available to watch now on ITV Player.
The Millennium Dome Heist with Ross Kemp
EastEnder-turned-documentary maker Ross Kemp boarded Equity for a day of filming for his latest investigation. We travelled down to The O2 to provide a unique vantage point for Kemp to talk about the famous failed diamond heist which unfolded at the then-called Millennium Dome in November 2000.
The hour-long documentary is available to watch now on ITV Player.
Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures
Edwardian was once again the vessel of choice for this filming project, taking centre stage in an upcoming episode of the popular travelogue series Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures. Scenes were also filmed at Butler’s Wharf Pier.
Disney and Netflix productions
We are currently working on big budget productions for both Disney and Netflix. Unfortunately we can’t say much more than that at this moment in time, but we’ll share more information when we can!
Fashion house production
Shooting for a huge advertising campaign for one of the world’s most famous fashion houses is currently underway on the Thames. This project includes the use of multiple vessels, locations and various marine services.
The finished film will be released soon, so keep an eye out!
Farer
Lima Lima I and hired vessel Helena combined to make a stunning promotional video for watch brand Farer during lockdown.
We arranged the transfer of Helena from her Chertsey home into central London, including obtaining the necessary permissions and licences, enabling her to take part in a day of filming in Greenwich for a very happy client!
Music
Anne-Marie live stream
Back in August, the hugely popular singer Anne-Marie performed a gig on top of The O2 in a big live stream event that Livett’s helped put together.
Embarking at Butler’s Wharf Pier, Anne-Marie travelled to the venue aboard Dixie Queen and Equity, which also doubled up as a camera boat. Upon arrival, Anne-Marie played on the arena’s roof, with the performance being live streamed to fans who were floating on the nearby COVID-secure Dixie Queen.
Footage from the show can be seen in Anne-Marie’s Music & Therapy documentary:
Liam Gallagher – Down By The River Thames
We were delighted to host legendary Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher as he performed the first-ever floating gig on the River Thames.
The P2 barge was deployed as the venue for the gig – featuring a stage and dedicated areas for the crew – with tug Felix taking the show past the capital’s countless sights. This project demanded a huge amount of marine coordination, with vessels Equity, Edwardian and Lima Lima I also all involved.
Tickets to watch Liam Gallagher – Down By The River Thames on 5 December are on sale now.
We’ll share more details on this spectacular event in our portfolio section next month.
PR
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
To promote the release of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on Amazon Prime, a giant inflatable version of Borat wearing his infamous “maskini” floated through London. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the eye-catching stunt generated plenty of worldwide media coverage!
Scheldemond II, Thames Vixen and Equity were all utilised, and guests of Amazon were invited to view the event from Butler’s Wharf Pier. This was Amazon’s first-ever COVID-secure event, with staff and guests on the day required to take a rapid coronavirus test prior to being granted access. And we are pleased to say everything went perfectly to plan!
That’s all for now, but check back soon to see part two of our Livett’s in Lockdown feature, where we will update you on all our recent marine civil engineering work.
