A brand new four-part drama thriller, Reunions, is making a milestone in diverse storytelling with the cast and crew being deaf or using sign language (BSL).
The show was filmed across Sheffield and the Peak district in well known locations such as Park Hill flats.
Written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager, Reunions is an emotionally charged thriller following a deaf man who is on a journey of redemption after serving a 10-year prison sentence.
Mark Herbert, producer of the show and founder of Sheffield-based production company Warp Films, said; “I was drawn to Reunion because it was an absolutely roller coaster thrill ride of the script, and it was brilliantly written and then the fact there is a lead deaf protagonist in a way I’d never seen before.
“With the script, William always had Sheffield in mind for it. It was a love letter to Sheffield. He wanted to show Sheffield not just as gritty, but as a great story and a place of amazing beauty.”
Warp Films was founded in Sheffield in 1999, producing BAFTA award winning titles (This is England, Four Lions and Everyone Talking about Jamie). For over 20 years the company’s mission has been to tell real life stories.
Mark said: “We tend to do working class stories with a lot of heart. It is part of our DNA that we tell stories from this part of the world. I believe life is complex. I think art and film should be about provoking discussion, and ultimately, we want to entertain.”
With a star-filled cast with Matthew Gurney (Name Me Lawed and Coffee ,orning Club) leading, Anne-Marie Duff (Suffragette and The Sailsbury Poisonings) and directed by Luke Snellin (One day and Wanderlust), the show’s team worked closely to make sure accessibility and representation of the deaf community on screen was done correctly.
Mark continued: “We made sure that we were getting it right, because a lot of the deaf crew and cast sort of said that certain things were not done right in the past. While we’re shooting, if somebody’s doing sign, we have what you call somebody doing a whisper track, so anybody who can’t do sign language understands.
“We’ve got many interpreters, so that the Deaf crew and cast can understand what the hearing people say in a live atmosphere. The authenticity of a Deaf voice is very much prevalent.”
The release date is yet to be announced for the show.