Was The Artful Dodger really filmed in Australia? (Where the show takes place)

The Artful Dodger is a television series that premiered in November 2023 on Hulu, and all eight episodes are currently streaming on the platform as well as Disney+. It serves as a sequel story to Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist novel that's so iconic! The adventure drama, co-created by James McNamara, features some wonderful scenery and impressive sets, with the story taking place in Australia. Was the series filmed in the area Down Under?

Yes! The Artful Dodger takes place in Australia and was actually filmed there. In particular in New South Wales and its capital, Sydney. Production got set up in November 2022 and the cast and crew kept the cameras rolling for about four months, wrapping up filming in March 2023.

The story, set in the1850s, takes place in the fictional colony of Port Victory in New South Wales. So if you headed to the Australian state, you won't find it! But if you do want to visit some filming locations, there's a few. One of those is a suburb in the area, Rookwood, which served as Port Victory in many scenes. One particular filming location is Rookwood Cemetery.

In an interview with News Corp Australia Network, star Maia Mitchell, who is Australian herself and plays Lady Belle Fox on the historical drama, mentioned the layers and corsets she had to wear while filming at a warehouse.

"We were in Parramatta [a city in Sydney], in this warehouse studio in the middle of summer in several layers of clothes and just not really breathing for six months, but honestly it helped. It was a physical reminder constantly."

Location manager Mary Barltrop spoke with NSW Government and shared The Artful Dodger also filmed at Elizabeth Farm; Kirkbridge, Callan Park which is a former psychiatric hospital they "turned into an 1800s backlot," and the coastal clifftop area of Cape Banks.

The show's IMDb page also lists Dixon Street and The Female Factory in Parmetta; The Rocks. Macquarie Street, and the Parliament House in Sydney; and Swifts, Darling Point in New South Wales as additional filming locations.

All eight episodes of The Artful Dodger are streaming on Hulu and Disney+.