Credit: Netflix
Save
The New Year is upon us, and other than making resolutions we won’t keep, lying in bed comatose for a few days, and dragging ourselves bag to work kicking and screaming, this time of year means one thing: the release of a brand new Harlan Coben thriller on Netflix. This year’s offering is Run Away, a dark and mysterious thriller following up some huge hits for Coben, including Fool Me Once and Missing You – of course headed up by the likes of long-time collaborator James Nesbitt, Minnie Driver and Ruth Jones.
With the cast also including Alfred Enoch – who is most definitely used to the darker side of TV, having starred in the incredible How to Get Away With Murder – as Detective Inspector Isaac Fagbenle, and Amy Gledhill as his partner Ruby Todd, Run Away is an ensemble thriller for the ages.
Credit: Netflix What is the plot of Run Away?
Simon had the perfect life: loving wife and kids, great job, beautiful home. But then his eldest daughter Paige ran away and everything fell apart. So now when he finds her, vulnerable and strung out on drugs in a city park, he finally has the chance to bring his little girl home.
But it turns out she’s not alone, and an argument escalates into shocking violence. In the aftermath, Simon loses his daughter all over again, and his search to find her will take him into a dangerous underworld, revealing deep secrets that could tear his family apart forever.
As with most recent Harlan Coben Netflix thrillers, Run Away happens to have been filmed in and around Greater Manchester – with the original material having been transferred from the bright lights of Manhattan to the affluent suburbs of Manchester, in a non-specific English setting. So of course, we’ve put together a guide of where Run Away was filmed in and around Manchester, because we’re just nosey to be honest.
Where was Run Away filmed in Manchester? Park where Paige is busking – Alexandra Park, Oldham 
Credit: Netflix
The park at the beginning of the series plays a huge part in the Run Away story, being where Simon sees Paige for the first time in so long and where a subsequent assault breaks out which is played back throughout the series. This park was actually Alexandra Park in Oldham, with its lovely fountain and characteristic landscaping, creating the perfect backdrop for this all-important scene – and where characters return throughout.
Finch & Leaf Cafe – Evelyn’s, NQ 
Credit: Netflix
Another important spot in Run Away is Finch & Leaf Cafe, run by Maria, who we eventually find out is Elena’s late husband’s daughter. It’s fairly obvious, but just in case, all these scenes were filmed in the Northern Quarter’s very own Evelyn’s – obvious to us and any frequent visitor to Manchester due to its unique interior, full of greenery and exposed brickwork, and the concrete multistorey car park outside.
Police Station – Manchester Crown Square 
Credit: Shutterstock
Many will recognise the huge police station in Run Away from the grand steps and 60s façade of Manchester’s Crown Court in Crown Square, Spinningfields. The exterior is used often when cutting to or from scenes at the police station, mostly with Isaac and Ruby, given it’s their place of work, but with many other characters popping in, including James Nesbitt’s Simon.
Greene family home – Altrincham/Alderley Edge 
Credit: Netflix
As mentioned, in the book Run Away, the drama is set in Manhattan, with the Greene family inhabiting a luxurious apartment, but what happens when you translate that to the north of England? Of course, here it’s the culture to move out of the city if you have money – with Simon and Ingrid being high up in finance and a paediatric surgeon respectively – and where better to place them than Altrincham?
The exterior of the gorgeous house was filmed at a huge Edwardian manor house in Altrincham – a real symbol of wealth – with the lush interior scenes being filmed in nearby Alderley Edge. The house is a character in itself, and with most flashback scenes being filmed there, we really get a sense of where Paige comes from.
The hospital – Alderley Science & Technology Park 
Credit: Netflix
Much of the drama in Run Away takes place in the hospital, not least because Ingrid not only works there, but is admitted as a patient near the beginning, staying for most of the series. The exterior and interior shots used Alderley Science & Technology Park which, if you’ve ever visited, could most definitely pass for a modern hospital.
The nature of the complex as a work and research environment meant that the area could be used on weekends with full freedom, and being surrounded by greenery and plenty of open space, filming could be completed without interruption.
Lanford University – University of Manchester 
Credit: Netflix
Although plenty of scenes at Paige’s university were filmed elsewhere, a patchwork of unis was used to give the feeling of depth and grandeur to Lanford University. One of these was the glorious University of Manchester, quite distinctive with its grand arches and Hogwarts feel, and it’s a campus we’re very proud of here in Manchester. Look our for the famous wall of ivy and foliage in the background of a tense scene with James Nesbitt – although that doesn’t narrow it down much.
Estate flats – Hill Street, Dukinfield 
Credit: Netflix
The estate where Aaron and Paige live and get their drugs is a huge focus of the series, with characters like Cornelius, Rocco and Luther all congregating here. These types of estates are dotted all around Greater Manchester, but this particular one is in Dukinfield, just off Hill Road – as confirmed by Tameside Council.
The actual estate is lovely and clean, with nice balconies and a tight knit community, so the production team had to bring in graffiti on canvas to strap to the walls, and a sprinkling of litter to make it look as run down as possible. Residents were allowed to watch some of the filming, and all round reports suggest it was a great place to film, for residents and crew.
Elena’s investigations/chase scenes – Stockport town centre/The Underbanks 
Credit: Netflix
A lot of private investigator Elena Ravenscroft’s scenes involve her chasing people down – she must’ve clocked some serious steps. A couple of these are blatantly through the streets of Stockport, specifically the lovely Underbank area, distinctive due to its cobbled streets, train and foot bridges and higgeldy-piggeldy old shops, cafes and bars.
Ash and Dee Dee’s hideout cottage – Altrincham 
Credit: Netflix
Something you don’t imagine when you think of Altrincham is an old, dilapidated, pretty creepy cottage – but that’s exactly what was used for the house contract killer duo Ash and Dee Dee hide out in. This poignant location is where they eventually get revenge on their abusive former foster mother, with the swing set in the back garden becoming a huge focus.
Other notable Manchester filming locations:
- City centre scenes – panoramic views of Manchester
- Park at Lanford University where Simon speaks to Paige’s friend Judy – St John’s Gardens
- Chase scenes – some through the Northern Quarter streets
- Simon driving to work – small streets off King Street
- Simon’s office – Spinningfields
Where was Run Away filmed in areas around Manchester?
- Cafe Minna – Liverpool
- Chase scenes through park between Simon and Paige & Aaron – Sefton Park, Liverpool
- Lanford University – Hope University, Childwall/St Katharine’s College, Liverpool
- The Corval Inn Animal Park – Tatton Park, Knutsford
Credit: Netflix
- Pub on the moors where Simon meets Aaron’s step mum – Former Great Western Inn, Saddleworth Moor
- Tattoo While U Wait parlour – Liverpool
- Sebastian Thorpe’s manor house – Prestbury
- The Shining Light Cult mansion – Thornbridge Hall Estate, near Bakewell
You can watch Run Away now on Netflix.