'Normally deaf people are portrayed as pitiful - this is different'

A revenge thriller focused on the story of a deaf man released from prison after 10 years shows "we are different to hearing actors", says its star Matthew Gurney.

The BBC One show Reunion, written by deaf scriptwriter William Mager, is a bilingual series featuring British Sign Language, spoken English and some subtitles.

It follows the story of Daniel Brennan, newly released and reunited with his estranged daughter Carly.

The four-part series was filmed in Mager's home city of Sheffield.

It's evident both the city - and Sheffield's deaf community - were key inspirations behind the show.

Mager says: "I always wanted to write something set in Sheffield. It feels like we haven't seen much of the Steel City on screen since the days of Threads, The Full Monty and, of course, This is England."

Matthew Gurney stars as leading man Daniel Brennan.

He previously lived in Doncaster and regularly attended Sheffield Deaf Club.

Speaking through an interpreter, Gurney says he and Mager used the city's landscapes to build on the characters.

"He knows the districts, he knows the countryside; he knows the moors, the Pennines... isolation, the lonely roads - that really represents Brennan's character.

"There are so many layers that Billy [Mager] has drawn on from the area that really impact the story.

"He's a very different character than we've seen before," says the actor, explaining what drew him to the character of Brennan.

"Normally deaf people are portrayed as pitiful characters - as victims - but Brennan is very different. He's assertive.

"I was really drawn to that when I read the script and I knew that was a character I wanted to play."

For screenwriter Mager, Brennan is a "classic anti-hero".

"He's done a lot of wrong, but he is trying to make amends.

"He's a strong-and-silent type, with a lot of emotional baggage and a raging internal conflict," he says.

"Our lead actor, Matty [Gurney], embodies that internal struggle beautifully - while having a bit of a Jason Statham and Marlon Brando thing going on."

The production, created by a predominantly deaf cast and crew, also stars Rose Ayling-Ellis, who became the first deaf person to win Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

The show features a combination of British Sign Language and spoken communication - with some scenes carrying subtitles.

Mager says having deaf people involved in all aspects of the show - both in front of the camera and behind the scenes - was vital to keeping the production as authentic as possible.

"It's so important to have those voices behind the camera as well as in front of it – just for those little details that might be missed," he says.

"We have a shortage of deaf people who want to work in crew positions, and a wealth of deaf people who want to be writers, directors and actors.

"Hopefully Reunion has gone some way to showing that other careers are possible."

The show also stars non-deaf actors Eddie Marsan, Anne-Marie Duff and Lara Peake - with both Duff and Peake having to use sign language in their roles.

Mager says it was one of the challenges that made him most nervous about the production.

"Luckily we had [Brian] Duffy, who is a bit of a legend," he says. "He's deaf and has his own career as an actor, writer and director in theatre, TV and film.

"He worked intensively with two of our actors, Lara Peake [who plays Brennan's daughter Carly] and Anne-Marie Duff [who plays Christine], to teach them sign language.

"The way Duffy works is a bit different from a typical BSL teacher – it's about teaching them muscle memory - remembering the correct hand shapes and where the signs originate from, whether it's the nose, the mouth or the chin.

"One night during rehearsals, we took Lara out to Sheffield Deaf Club for a few drinks. Me, Matty, Duffy and a couple of interpreters were all watching out for Lara, making sure she was OK.

"But then she started conversing with random deaf people on her own, buying them drinks, and we knew she was going to be great.

"Towards the end of the night, she tapped Duffy on the shoulder and signed 'I love the deaf community'. Duffy didn't say anything, just gave her a hug."

For both Mager and Gurney, it was important to represent the deaf community in a realistic manner - one that showed deaf people are just as flawed and complex as anyone else.

"There's a house party scene in episode one where you see a lot of deaf people indulging in the whole spectrum of 'post-watershed' behaviour," says Mager.

"It feels slightly subversive and naughty that we'll get to see deaf characters having sex, doing drugs, gossiping in BSL on their phones, getting out of their heads and dancing, and generally getting up to mischief."

Gurney adds: "We do normal things, we do stupid things. Deaf people make mistakes - we learn from them, we are just the same.

"We live with hearing people all the time, we're always there, but you're not exposed to us.

"We go to the pub - deaf people are in there having pints. We do all these things - we're just normal and it's nice to show that."

As well as raising awareness, Mager hopes the show will open doors for the community: "A door that stays open for more deaf and disabled stories to be told on television."

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