Lucy Punch was seen filming dramatic festive scenes for the upcoming Amandaland Christmas special on a quiet street in Highbury, North London.
The 48-year-old actress, who plays Amanda in the hit BBC comedy series, wore a Santa hat, a deep red fur coat, a fur-trimmed minidress, sheer tights, and bow-trimmed heels while assisting her distressed pregnant friend Anne on set.
Anne, portrayed by 44-year-old Philippa Dunne, wore a bright mustard-yellow raincoat in a street scene crowded with festive props, artificial reindeer, and plastic Christmas decorations.
The shoot brought real-life emergency services to Highbury after neighbours reported seeing ambulances on their street and hearing screams during filming, although the BBC has kept the exact cause of the on-screen drama secret.
One local resident said: "The ambulance gave us a bit of a fright. We knew filming was happening, but we didn’t expect to see the emergency services."
Ms Punch was also seen dashing between houses during the shoot in what she previously described as the outfit of a "middle-aged wannabe sexy Santa."
One neighbour said: "It’s quite surreal opening your front door and seeing Lucy Punch running past as Father Christmas."
Rival Christmas parties take over Ferntower Road
Although the show depicts Amanda living in a rather less grand terraced house in South Harlesden, the production actually took place several miles away on a leafy street in Highbury, where properties sell for more than £2 million.
Last week, the late-Victorian terraces of Ferntower Road were transformed into Amanda's version of "SoHa" during what locals described as the programme's most lavish shoot to date.
Around 45 crew members descended on the area for four days of filming between September 29 and October 2, with production continuing until 10:30pm on the final night.
Cast trailers were parked on nearby Poet's Road, while the production team took over part of the Mildmay Club on Newington Green for catering facilities.
A source told the Daily Mail that the production operated on a significantly larger scale than in previous years.
The source said: "It was a considerably bigger budget and longer shoot than in previous years. The bigger budget meant they not only took over the actual house that Amanda “lives” in, but also another person’s house just two doors down, which is having the rival Christmas party."
To complete the festive atmosphere, residents were paid around £500 to let the crew festoon their front gardens with fairy lights and place Christmas trees in their windows.
Rochenda Sandall, who plays Fi, was also seen on set wearing a dressing gown alongside Ms Punch and other cast members between takes.
The festive episode revolves around competing celebrations on the same street. A letter delivered to residents prior to filming revealed that Amanda hosts a Christmas party while, unknown to her, a neighbour holds another party nearby.
One resident noted that the two parties could be distinguished solely by their decorations.
The resident said: "The set dressing crew made it clear that Amanda’s Christmas party is achingly tasteful with a nice wreath on her door, stylish twigs and subtle lights going up her outside bannisters."
Describing the competing setup, the resident added: "The neighbour’s party two doors down was obviously very tacky, dressed with endless Christmas gnomes, gaudy lights and a vast inflatable Santa."
Neighbours react to Highbury filming disruption
Philippa Dunne was pictured taking a break from filming as her character Anne, whose advanced pregnancy and sudden distress form a key part of the festive plot.
The pre-filming letter delivered to residents, seen by the Daily Mail, outlined plans for four days of filming and warned of external lighting, temporary traffic controls, and parking suspensions across six surrounding roads.
The production promised to limit neighbourhood noise by using in-ear radios and silent battery-powered lights.
Those living nearest to Amanda's fictional front door described bright production lights shining towards their windows and heard a director calling "action" repeatedly into the evenings.
Despite the evening filming and temporary road restrictions, local residents remained enthusiastic about their street's starring role.
One neighbour said: "All the neighbours that I know actually rather like having the filming done here."
Two students living opposite Amanda's house added: "We’re looking forward to watching those scenes in Amandaland that we have seen in real life."
Alexander Shaw, who plays Amanda's son Manus, and Samuel Anderson, who stars as her love interest Mal, were also seen participating in the Highbury shoot.
How Highbury stands in for South Harlesden
The geographical contrast between Highbury and Harlesden is central to the comedy of Amandaland, which follows its heroine as she attempts to adjust to life after an acrimonious divorce forced her to move from Chiswick.
For two series, Amanda has insisted that her move to South Harlesden, near Wormwood Scrubs, was not a fall from grace but a rebrand, rechristening the neighbourhood "SoHa."
Built from London stock brick, the late-Victorian terraces of Ferntower Road can stand in for numerous areas in the capital after artful distressing by set dressers.
When Amandaland began filming its first series, crew members scattered bin bags outside Amanda's flat and overturned a shopping trolley to make the well-to-do Islington street look less polished.
One local resident recalled: "I was amused by how they managed, with only a little bit of set dressing, to turn our quite nice street into a grotty one. We thought it was funny that we were supposed to be in Harlesden."
Amanda's mother Felicity, played by Dame Joanna Lumley, 80, highlighted the running joke in an earlier episode when she arrived at the house demanding: "Darling, let me in before I get mugged," before complaining that the entire area "smells like buses."
The upcoming episode follows a successful period for the BBC series. Its 2025 Christmas special attracted 7.4 million viewers within 28 days, making it the most-watched British comedy episode of the year.
The second series of Amandaland averaged 4.5 million viewers, while its first series won Best Scripted Comedy at the Bafta Television Awards.
Summing up local feeling about the production, one resident said: "Amandaland is easily the best comedy on UK television at the moment. It’s great we can play a part in it."
