Work has begun on Reunion, a BBC1 drama telling the story of a deaf man who's determined to unravel the truth behind the events that led him to prison.
Described as an "emotional thriller of revenge and redemption", the four-part series will star Matthew Gurney, Lara Peake, Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan and Rose Ayling- Ellis.
Written by deaf writer William Mager, it promises to be a milestone in inclusive storytelling, with the majority of the cast being deaf or using British Sign Language (BSL).
Mager was formerly part of Scripted, a writer development scheme for writers identified through BBC's open calls and other talent searches.
"I'm genuinely thrilled to be a part of this very exciting production," says Anne-Marie Duff. "It's 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."
Here's everything we know about the groundbreaking show...
Reunion release date
Filming for the four-part series began in and around Sheffield in Spring 2024, meaning it's likely to arrive on BBC One and the iPlayer in 2025. BBC Studios will distribute the series internationally.
Reunion plot
A statement released by the BBC reads as follows...
"Reunion is the story of recently released prisoner, Daniel Brennan. Brennan embodies the struggle of a man caught between two worlds, unable to fully integrate into the hearing world and shunned by his closest friends and the wider deaf community following his heinous crime. Amidst this isolation, Brennan's only meaningful relationship is with his estranged daughter Carly, who he has not had any contact with since his arrest over a decade ago."
Reunion cast
Matthew Gurney (Name Me Lawand, Theatre Ad Infinium, Coffee Morning Club) leads the cast as recently released prisoner Daniel Brennan.
Anne-Marie Duff (Bad Sisters, The Salisbury Poisonings, Suffragette) will star as Christine, desperate to find Brennan and get to the truth of what he did, Eddie Marsan (Back to Black, Ray Donovan) as Stephen Renworth, Christine’s protective boyfriend, while Rose Ayling-Ellis (Summer of Rockets, As You like It, Signs of Change) will play Miri, her daughter.
The cast will also include Stephen Collins (Dune: Part One) as Sean, Ace Mahbaz (Small World) as Ray Mokhtar, Sophie Stone (The Chelsea Detective) as Naomi Brennan, Olive Gray (Halo) as Anna Shenford, Joe Sims (Broadchurch) as Joe Summers.
Other cast members include Julian Peedle-Calloo (Louder Than Words) who plays Gardner, Cherie Gordon (Boat Story) as Tasha, Rinkoo Barpaga (You Don’t Know Me) as Vinay, James Joseph Boyle as Matthew, Duffy (Small World) as David, Joanne Harrison as Brennan’s mum and David Hirshman (Signs of an Affair) as Brennan’s dad.
Producers also confirmed most of the roles will be played by actors who are deaf or use British Sign Language (BSL), news that has been welcomed by many in the deaf community.
Writer and executive producer, William Mager, says: “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.”
Reunion trailer
There's no trailer for this one yet, but we'll be sure to let you know when one lands.
