Rose Ayling-Ellis pays tribute to BBC Reunion’s Anne-Marie Duff with touching statement ahead of series debut
Strictly Come Dancing champion and former EastEnders stalwart Rose Ayling-Ellis has shared nothing but kind words for her on-screen mother in Reunion, Anne-Marie Duff, ahead of the show’s debut.
Kicking off on Monday night, the Beeb’s latest thriller is a unique one, classed as a bilingual drama due to the fact the script is in British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English.
Billed as a “four-part revenge thriller told through the unique point of view of a deaf man isolated from society, both physically and emotionally”, the drama centres on convicted murderer Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney) following his release from prison.
Lead writer and creator William Mager explained the plot further ahead of the show’s premiere, saying: “Reunion is the story of a man called Daniel Brennan. He’s just out of prison after 10 years inside for committing a terrible crime. He’s lost his family. He’s lost his friends. He’s lost the deaf community. But he’s on a journey of revenge.
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“But that journey becomes something different from what he’s expecting and from what the audience is expecting.
“It starts as a typical story of revenge, and then it becomes something bigger and more powerful.”
Gurney’s on-screen daughter, Carly, is portrayed by Lara Peake, who’s former best pal Miri is played by the aforementioned Ayling-Ellis.
Miri and Carly’s relationship was torn apart following Daniel’s horrific crime, for which Miri and her mother, Christine (Anne-Marie Duff), are still mourning. Daniel was sentenced for killing Christine’s former husband.
While the plot may seem a heavy one for the cast to contend with, Ayling-Ellis has explained that it didn’t dampen her experience of working with his co-stars – particularly Duff.
“It’s amazing,” Ayling-Ellis told the BBC when asked what it was like playing the mother-daughter relationship with Duff.
She continued: “It’s funny because a lot of people have said to my mum, ‘Oh, Anne-Marie would play you in a movie about your life’, and now she’s actually playing my mum.
“It was a bit of inspired casting, and she’s just so lovely. She’s a darling,” Ayling-Ellis went on.
The kind words were reciprocated by Duff, who also delved into her experience working with Ayling-Ellis when speaking ahead of Reunion’s premiere.
“I’ve been fantastically lucky to work with Rose,” Duff began her own tribute. “Not only is she this spectacular person, but she’s also a real game changer and an inspiration, and she’s just lovely. She’s a brilliant actor; she works so hard.
“It was very easy trying to create the sense that we are related and that we love each other. She’s so available, and it’s been very easy to play her mum.
“Our relationship in the series is great because it feels like a real relationship. No relationship ever runs on a single track; there are always little diversions, and in this, we’re dealing with high stakes, jeopardy, and pain.
“It’s been interesting playing these two women trying to navigate these emotions and trying to take care of each other, but at the same time needing their own space.”
Ayling-Ellis and Duff are joined by the aforementioned Peake and Gurney in the cast, but they’re not the only big names tied to the project.
Eddie Marsan will star in the drama at Stephen Renworth, a retired police officer.
While Stephen is on hand to support Christine following Daniel’s release, Marsan has teased that the character has a “dark secret” of his own.