UPDATE: |BBC Reunion writer on why it was so important to use sign language and spoken English in show News

The new four-part thriller is being praised as one of the best UK shows of the year

A writer of the BBC’s new drama Reunion has explained why it was important to use sign language and spoken English in show.

Premiering at 9pm on BBC One on Monday (April 7), Reunion is a four-part thriller about a man named Daniel Brennan, a deaf person recently released from prison after serving ten years for the murder of his friend Ray.

Upon his release, Daniel, played by Matthew Gurney, struggles to reintegrate back into society and after getting shunned by both the hearing and deaf communities.

With Daniel determined to uncover the truth behind the events that led to his incarceration, the series will also see his attempts to reconnect with his daughter Carly, played by Lara Peake, while Ray’s widow Christine, played by Anne Marie Duff, and their deaf daughter Miri, played by Rose Ayling-Ellis.

Becoming the first person to win first deaf person to win BBC Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, Rose previously played Frankie Lewis EastEnders for two years.

Reunion aims to authentically represent the deaf community by boasting a diverse cast, including deaf and hearing actors, and incorporates spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL).

Speaking to the BBC about the series, William Mager, the show’s lead writer, creator and executive producer, said he wanted to ‘show that sign language is not just one thing’.

He explained: “Sign language can be used in different ways. Some people sign and speak at the same time, and some use sign language solely. Others will use SSC (Scottish Sensory Centre) and add in elements of gesture.

“I wanted to show the variety of communication methods that deaf and hard-of-hearing people use. I’m proud of Lara Peake and Anne-Marie Duff as they both had to learn sign language for this series.

“They learned it in a matter of weeks and they look amazing. I’m also proud of Duffy, our sign language consultant, for helping both of them learn and thrive in sign.”

Asked if it was difficult writing the bilingual element of the series, William revealed he wrote a bilingual script from the start.

“I knew clearly who would be signing, who would be speaking, and who wouldn’t be signing at all. However, I had to use italics and bold to show the different range of communications that they use.

“I had to think about that carefully so that the director could hopefully navigate that with the language each character should be using.

“I also wanted to show that no deaf person is the same and that everyone has their own style of communication, their own language, their own accent, so it was important for me that it was a bilingual series from the start.”

He added: “Reunion is set within the deaf community, it has sign language within it, but also it has an element of mystery, intrigue and excitement.

“Reunion is about hope. It’s about a man who’s lost everything. His wife, his daughter, his friends and his community, but he still has hope that one day, maybe, he’ll find a way to live again.”

All four episodes of Reunion are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now, with the episodes airing on BBC One from 9pm tonight, April 7. The second episode will air tomorrow night at 9pm, the third on Monday April 14 and the final episode on Tuesday April 15.