Reunion's Rose Ayling-Ellis pays tribute to 'amazing' co-star in new BBC drama

On Monday night, viewers will see the first episode of a brand new thriller called Reunion. It's told through the unique point of view of Brennan (Matthew Gurney), a deaf convicted murderer who has been released after serving 10 years.

It's clear he has one thing on his mind when getting out: revenge. However, things take a turn when he discovers his now 21-year-old daughter Carly (Lara Peake) is no longer living with his parents and is in trouble.

Discovering Carly owes money to some dangerous people, Brennan reassures her he'll help pay but the cash but is still hellbent on getting his personal revenge.

Elsewhere a woman called Christine (Anne-Marie Duff), the wife of the person Brannan killed, is rattled after learning about his release.

When Brennan and Carly go to a reunion of the deaf school for boys that he attended, things get heated when Christine and her family are also there, desperate for answers.

A synopsis reads: "After an explosive row, Brennan considers the choice to continue on, with or without Carly. The only hope of redemption and saving Brennan from himself is through rebuilding his relationship with Carly and finding a way to let go of the past.

"Will Brennan be consumed by his desire for revenge or take this unexpected opportunity and go towards the potential of a new life with his daughter?"

Although Carly is angry and combative towards her father, Brennan, the same can't be said for the other parent/children relationships in Reunion. Rose Ayling-Ellis plays the role of Miri in the series, the daughter of the man Brennan killed.

She was also best friends with Carly until the crime took place. When asked what Miri and Christine's relationship is like, she said: "Their relationship is a lovely mother-and-daughter relationship. They're both grieving, even though it's been ten years.

"But grieving never goes away, it can have its ups and downs, and they bond over that. Also, for Miri, Christine is the only family that she has left, so she is very protective of her mum."

It seems as though the pair also get on well when the camera's stop rolling as Rose had nothing but praise when speaking about her co-star.

She added: "It's amazing. 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."

When asked how they worked on portraying their relationship on-screen, Rose told the BBC they done group rehearsals before they started shooting, which isn't common.

Rose added: "Normally the first time you meet the other actor is on set. So, because we had that, we already had our relationship set up from the beginning.

"We often got on the train back to London from Sheffield together too, and when I'd see her, I'd get her to sign with me and we just ended up having a bond."

Reunion starts on BBC One on April 7 at 9pm