Here's what the cast of Call the Midwife got up to in South Africa
Helen George, Stephen McGann and the gang visited vineyards, climbed mountains and watched dolphins during filming for the 2016 Christmas special
The nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House are poised to return to the cobbled streets of Poplar. They have been in South Africa, filming upcoming scenes from the Christmas special, but we can now confirm that filming wraps this week.
The festive episode will see the Nonnatons head overseas after receiving an "SOS from a tiny mission hospital faced with closure."
Filming on location has been tough work for the show's cast. There's no doubt their storylines at Hope Clinic Mission Hospital are difficult.
"The team are both shaken and exhilarated by the challenges they face - and by the time the mission trip is over, some lives are permanently changed," teases the BBC. But thankfully the gang also found time to have a little fun.
Here's Stephen McGann, who plays Doctor Turner, finding time to snap a selfie in the sunshine:
L'Afrique c'est chic :-) #callthemidwife pic.twitter.com/2dsROMedfD
— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) April 10, 2016
While Victoria Yeates, who stars as Sister Winifred, marvelled at the view from her Cape Town base:
https://twitter.com/VictoriaYeates/status/716376516972703744
The gang were working weekends to film the festive special, but, as Helen George – aka Nurse Trixie – revealed on Instagram, it wasn't so bad...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BD-KXKFIwss/
The cast also had days off to enjoy their spectacular surroundings, whether they chose to get out of breath...
Me and @LauraMain1 celebrating our chatty ascent of Table Mountain with a wee Turner selfie :-) pic.twitter.com/zmMV5aQV2L
— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) April 19, 2016
South Africa latest: Laura and Jack get sporty for the local community :-) https://t.co/8x3RLWdyJY pic.twitter.com/kCxRrnGxkU
— Call The Midwife (@CallTheMidwife1) April 20, 2016
Mess around on boats...
https://twitter.com/StephenMcGann/status/722007079947476997
Hang out with dolphins...
https://twitter.com/StephenMcGann/status/722021700968308736
Sample local plonk...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEdft5qqrkN/
Or wander through cactus forests.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEgOHeIownn/
They also met up after shooting to eat together by the seashore:
Our #callthemidwife cast and crew relax in Cape Town on their first day off from filming the Christmas Special :-) pic.twitter.com/s7sJJD8myw
— Call The Midwife (@CallTheMidwife1) April 10, 2016
It's a tough life, eh?
The cast of Call the Midwife will finish filming the Christmas special and upcoming episodes, which will see the return of Miranda Hart's Chummy, in the UK later this year.
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