Reunion examines the fallout after a deaf man is released from prison following a shocking murder.
The groundbreaking four-part bilingual BBC One drama, airing this month and penned by deaf writer William Mager, features deaf and hearing cast and crew, and combines spoken English, British sign language (BSL) and subtitles.
As it begins, Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney) has served a decade in jail for inexplicably killing his friend, Ray (Ace Mahbaz). Once he is out, Brennan tries to reconnect with estranged daughter Carly (Rivals’ Lara Peake), but he also embarks on a vengeful mission to expose the truth about the past by trying to trace a mysterious old face at a reunion for his former deaf school.
Meanwhile, Ray’s widow, Christine (Bad Sisters’ Anne-Marie Duff) and her deaf daughter, Miri (EastEnders‘ Rose Ayling-Ellis) are horrified that Brennan is free. And despite the concerns of her protective new boyfriend, ex-cop Stephen Renworth (The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe’s Eddie Marsan), Christine needs to know what led Brennan to murder Ray. But events soon spiral out of control…
Here, Rose Ayling-Ellis and Anne-Marie Duff tell What To Watch all about Reunion…
Reunion is a trailblazing drama. What drew you both?
Anne-Marie Duff: “Reunion is a thrilling story! It’s human and messy. And this show feels revolutionary.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis: “For me I feel like the more we explore the deaf community, the more normal it seems, and the more people understand why we’re so frustrated and the barriers that we face in life. That’s what the power of TV is. It can break down a wall. That is what excites me.”
Tell us about your characters and how they feel when Brennan gets out and comes back into their lives…
Anne-Marie Duff: “Christine married into the deaf community and lost her husband Ray in a brutal way. But she and her daughter Miri are a real team. We find her beginning a new life with her boyfriend Stephen and coming out of the shadows, but then she steps on a landmine, narratively speaking, when Brennan gets out.
“They were once great friends and she’s desperate for a conversation with him, because she’s had her own version of deafness, as she never heard why he did it [killed Ray], so she goes on a journey for answers. But I liked the idea that even though Christine had been traumatised, she wasn’t a victim to it. ”
Rose Ayling-Ellis: “Miri’s a student and is close to her mum after losing her dad. There’s grieving over what she could have had, because it’s been taken away. When Brennan gets out, it’s a shock. And although she is part of a deaf community and a hearing world, Miri can be isolated, no one tells her what’s going on. There are twists too!”
What have you enjoyed about working together?
Anne-Marie Duff: “Rose is a special soul. She’s one of my heroes! She is the most extraordinary young woman and a champion and a game-changer.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis: “And I’ve loved working with Anne-Marie – she looks similar to my real mum, which has helped. And she and Eddie Marsan are legendary, so it was amazing to be with them, it’s always a privilege to act with really cool actors, and they both were so good.”
How have you found learning British Sign Language, Anne-Marie?
Anne-Marie Duff: “Learning BSL has been a privilege. I was a complete blank page but I had a brilliant teacher. There’s something delicious about signing and it feels instinctive – you get straight to the point.”
And what has it been like filming on a set with deaf and hearing cast and crew?
Anne-Marie Duff: “I’ve loved being on a bilingual set and there’s been kindness and patience and no assumption of knowledge. It’s brilliant and so exciting. I’m always interested in inclusivity of any kind. We have so much to learn from each other.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis: “I’m often the only deaf actor on a set, but here, there’s a mixture of deaf and hearing people in front of and behind the camera. I’m not on my own. I’ve even seen hearing crew signing to each other – sign language benefits everybody. I want audiences to see how visual communication can be. This is history-making.”
Reunion airs on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 April and Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 April at 9pm on BBC One. All four episodes will also be available on BBC iPlayer. We will let you know about a US release if one is announced.