EastEnders star and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, and Casualty actor Sophie Stone, are among those cast in an upcoming four-part BBC thriller Reunion, which has begun filming in and around Sheffield this week.
Penned by 2022/23 BBC Drama Room writer William Mager, the drama is described as “an emotional thriller of revenge and redemption” concerning Deaf man Daniel Brennan, who is trying to unravel the truth around the circumstances which landed him in prison.
Branded a “milestone in inclusive storytelling” due to the large representation of deaf people or British Sign Language (BSL) signers, the series stars Matthew Gurney (Coffee Morning Club, BSL Zone) as Brennan, with Stone playing Naomi Brennan and Ayling-Ellis playing Miri, the daughter of Christine, a lady who is trying to track him down.
Christine is played by The House of Shades and His Dark Materials actor Anne-Marie Duff, with Back to Black and Sherlock Holmes actor Eddie Marsan playing her protective boyfriend, Stephen Renworth.
Gurney said Mager’s scripts are “electrifying” and that it is a “privilege to bring Brennan to life” in the series, while Duff said she was “genuinely thrilled” to be part of the “very exciting production”.
She added: “It is rare to witness a narrative where the audience is taken on a journey with a very different set of senses. It’s about our need to acknowledge each other’s truths – both inside our own families and beyond.
“The team is so extraordinary. I feel very honoured to be rubbing shoulders with them”.
Speaking in February when the drama was commissioned by the BBC, Mager – who is also an executive producer – said of the series: “I wanted to address a difficult topic that’s mostly unique to the deaf community in the vehicle of a mystery thriller that educates audiences about what it’s like to be deaf, without falling into the usual tropes of ‘deep, rich and beautiful sign language’ and ‘living in a silent world’.
“We have an incredible wealth of deaf acting talent in this country, and I can’t wait to see what they can do.”
The series will be directed by Luke Snellin, who was behind the recent Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ book, One Day.
Also joining the cast are Stephen Collins (Dune and Perfect Show for Rachel) as Sean; Ace Mahbaz (Small World, BSL Zone) as Ray Mokhtar; Julian Peedle-Calloo (BBC’s See Hear) as Gardner; Cherie Gordon (Boat Story) as Tasha; Rinkoo Barpaga (Made In India/Britain) as Vinay; James Joseph Boyle (The Promise) as Matthew; and Duffy (Small World) as David.
Joanne Harrison and David Hirshman (Signs of an Affair) will play Brennan’s mum and dad respectively, while Olive Gray (Halo) will star as Anna Shenford.
An air date for Reunion is yet to be announced.
Images: Yellowbelly and Signature.
Liam O'Dell 