In London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool the very proper barrister Archibald Leach.
Roehampton Church of England Primary School, 245, Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, London Borough of Wandsworth, Greater London, England, SW15 4AA, United Kingdom
Kingston University, Middle Mill, Mill Street, Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England, KT1 2RH, United Kingdom
Museum of the Order of St John, St John's Lane, Farringdon, Clerkenwell, London Borough of Islington, Greater London, England, EC1M 4DA, United Kingdom
St Saviour's Wharf, 25, Mill Street, Butler's Wharf, Bermondsey Village, Bermondsey, London Borough of Southwark, Greater London, England, SE1 2BA, United Kingdom
The great Anglo-American heist comedy – a tangle of diamond thieves, a stammering animal lover and a jewel hidden a little too well – plays out across London, from Kensington townhouses to Bermondsey flats and the canals of Paddington, with a detour to leafy Surrey.
Where was A Fish Called Wanda filmed?
A Fish Called Wanda was filmed largely in London – Kensington, Bermondsey and Paddington – with some scenes in Esher, Surrey.
Every A Fish Called Wanda location, explained
1
Archie and Wanda’s world – Bermondsey and Kensington
The apartments and townhouses used real London addresses, from Keeton’s Road in Bermondsey to the grand streets of Kensington.
2
The canals – Paddington
Scenes along the Grand Union Canal at Paddington and Maida Vale give the film its watery London texture.
3
The prison and school scenes
Institutional interiors used real buildings, including a school in Roehampton.
4
Esher, Surrey
Archie’s suburban house sits in Esher, in the Surrey commuter belt outside London.
Planning a visit
London is the whole film – Kensington, Bermondsey and the Paddington canals are all walkable, everyday London corners that the comedy quietly immortalised.
A Fish Called Wanda Fun Facts
1
A transatlantic team-up The film paired Monty Python’s John Cleese and Michael Palin with Americans Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline.
2
Kline won an Oscar Kevin Kline took Best Supporting Actor as the dim, dangerous Otto.
3
Palin's stutter had a real cost Michael Palin’s stammering character upset some viewers, though Palin – whose own father stammered – later supported a stammering charity.
4
The fish really matter The film’s title payoff hinges on some very unlucky tropical fish.
5
Directed by an Ealing legend It was directed by Charles Crichton, a veteran of the classic Ealing comedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it set in London?
Yes – the heist comedy plays out across real London locations.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – Kensington, Bermondsey and the Paddington canals are all accessible parts of London.
Who starred in A Fish Called Wanda?
John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin.
