Reunion: First look at new BBC thriller starring EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Bad Sisters actress Anne-Marie Duff
The BBC has released the first look at a brand new drama starring former EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Reunion is a brand-new thriller coming to screens later this year and tells the story of a “man who is hated within the deaf community”. The show will star deaf actors Rose Ayling-Ellis and Matthew Gurney, as well as How To Have Sex actress Lara Peake, Bad Sisters star Anne-Marie Duff and Ray Donovan actor Eddie Marsan.
Gurney will play Daniel Brennan in the show penned by William Mager. Daniel is on a journey of redemption after his release from prison and subsequent shunning from the deaf community.
In first look images, Ayling-Ellis is seen alongside Duff, who play daughter-and-mother duo Miri and Christine. Gurney and Peake, who plays Daniel’s estranged daughter Carly are also seen together in new images, with many characters also appearing to use BSL throughout the show.
Speaking about the show, Gurney said: “Reunion is an amazing storyline and is completely different from my previous work. My character Brennan is on a wildly different journey than that portrayed by normal deaf lives, this portrays a man who is hated within the deaf community.
He added: “It shows how deaf people react and act on screen in an honest and authentic way. We are different to hearing actors, we are so much more visual storytellers, it’s not about relying on sound it’s about using your eyes and seeing what is going on in the story.”
Peake added: “There’s so much in Reunion that people can relate to from the relationships and storyline to what it feels like to be isolated from a community and welcomed into a community.
“To be able to watch a show that is led by deaf actors is incredible and the inclusion of sign language is not seen often enough. It’s a real opportunity to learn and become fascinated and immersed in that world”.
The four-part series is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.