The Official Penny Dreadful Tumblr has shared some behind the scenes tit-bits from season 1, including Joseph's guest episode 'Closer than Sisters'. The scene in question is embedded below. 

This was a rough week for Vanessa. We began the week with Vanessa being admitted to the Banning Clinic. These were intense days on set with unbelievable performances from Eva Green. The ice bath, of course, springs to mind. Luckily that was warm water and fake ice…we’re not that cruel. But we did actually blast someone with a power hose. Emer, one of our stunt doubles, stepped up to the challenge of being blasted full force. It was quite difficult to watch, but achieved a fantastic portrayal of the harsh treatments endured. Vanessa also gets her hair chopped off. This was a wig and bald cap created by our Make-Up Effects team of Nick Dudman and Sarita Alison. What most people didn’t know on the day was that they only had one version of that bald cap. They had to get this right the first time, which thankfully they did. They had taken a measurement of Eva’s head, one of the Make-up Effects team hand stitched in the hairs one at a time, Sarita then added in those cuts and bruises you see so that when Eva walked on set she was barely recognisable. It truly added to the chilling atmosphere on set as the doctor leaned in with his drill to her head. I’m sure you’ll also remember the hedge maze from this episode. This was a full hedge maze created by our Visual Effects team, but also an actual walk-able maze created by Philip Murphy, our set decorator. As I have mentioned several times, nothing you see on this show is ever superficial. All sets have winding corridors, stairs you can climb, doors that actually lead to rooms, and hedge mazes that you can actually get lost in.

I quite enjoyed being on set for the scenes with young Mina, young Vanessa, Peter, and Mina’s groom-to-be (or not to be in this case), Captain Branson. We shot a scene of the four sitting for afternoon tea as part of a montage sequence with voice-over, so the actors just had to adlib. If only the audience could hear what was actually being said. Joseph Millson, who plays Captain Branson, was telling the most ridiculous jokes during this take, to the amusement of the crew, as the rest of the cast tried not to break character. There was quite a bit of giggling going on during this scene!

We shot the wedding party on A Stage, commonly known as Dorian Gray’s Mansion. But when redressed, Dorian’s bedroom can also be a wedding party room or the family dining room you see! With music playing, waiters circulating with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and beautifully ornate costumes designed by Gabriella Pescucci, there were moments when I felt I should have worn my best dress to work that day. So I did what I so often enjoy doing on A Stage – I climbed up to the gantry, to the very top of the stage, and watched the scene unfold from high above. Quasimodo style. After all the partying and wedding celebrations on A Stage, on this particular night all cast and crew were invited to B Stage – the Grand Guignol Theatre – where we were met with a very special surprise! John Logan and the producers had organised a screening of the first episode. Echoing a scene we had just recently filmed in this very theatre, we all milled around the foyer enjoying the refreshments. But rather than oranges, we had glasses of Champagne, popcorn and cotton candy.

Watching that first episode on one of our sets was an unforgettable experience for everyone. We were able to watch first hand, mere weeks after we had filmed it, all the hard work and commitment everyone had put in. What particularly resonated with me was the entire progression from first reading the words of John’s scripts, to watching our set designers, costume department, make-up and hair, special effects, directors and cast, all bring his world to life; truly unforgettable. And even though we all knew exactly what was going to happen in each scene, it wasn’t without its frights! –Michelle Ryan, Digital Content Producer for Penny Dreadful