Thriller The Guest launches next Monday on the BBC, with a new trailer now released.
The series is written, created and executive produced by Matthew Barry (Men Up, Industry) and produced by Quay Street Productions (Fool Me Once, Dead Hot, Nolly) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a co-commission with BBC Cymru Wales.
Eve Myles (Hijack, Keeping Faith, Broadchurch) and Gabrielle Creevy (Amadeus, Three Women, In My Skin) are the lead characters Fran and Ria.
“The idea for The Guest came from my love of ’90s thrillers, like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Pacific Heights,” says Barry. “I wanted to create a fun, twisty thriller, but with the unique perspective of a working-class character.
“It addresses class and wealth disparities that exist—and are widening — in society. I wanted to explore the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom of the social ladder, and how hard it is for people to move between these levels. Social mobility is getting more difficult, and I felt it was important to tackle that issue on screen.”
The director is Ashley Way who described the casting process. “The casting process was quite easy, Gabi’s name came up straight away, she had the right intensity. She was from a similar background to her character Ria, so for her, it was something that she wanted to play. I met with her initially, and we both felt on the same wavelength when it came to what direction we would take the story. I’ve worked with Eve before, so when she showed an interest in this project, it was a slam dunk that we had her on board.”
When it came to setting the tone of the series, “we started to set the look by looking at other female lead thrillers, things like Gone Girl, lots of work by David Fincher and psychological thrillers,” explains Way. “That lent us a certain style and aesthetic, as we wanted it to be very cinematic. We wanted it to be an elevated look, That world needed to be alluring and seductive, so it had to have this alluring, seductive style to it.”
The series was commissioned by Nick Andrews, head of commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales and Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. “The Guest is a hugely entertaining, deftly plotted thriller that will have viewers gripped,” said Salt on announcing the title. “After the fantastic, five-star response to the tender and life-affirming Men Up, we’re delighted to join forces again with Matthew Barry and Quay Street Productions on another Welsh-set drama, alongside this fantastic cast.”
Interview with Davina Earl – Executive Producer
Can you tell us about how The Guest originated?
We’ve been working with Matthew Barry for a while now, we’d seen lots of middle-class thrillers on television with beautiful houses and affluent, aspirational worlds, but we thought it’d be interesting to see the point of view with a cleaner and access the world through someone we could relate to. We started with Ria and thought it would be fun to go on a journey with her into this world, that felt quite rarefied.
What did you think of the scripts when you first read them?
Matthew has a brilliant talent for understanding dialogue and stories, which’ll appeal to audiences – they’re very inviting, you’ll never feel left out of his scripts or storytelling. As always with a Matthew project, there’s a combination of high emotion and operatic feeling but then really grounded funny humour. We wanted to lean into big thriller twists and 90s thriller films which have influenced him as an audience member, so he wanted the twist to be big and unashamedly propulsive alongside real characters. So, I think that mixture makes it feel special.
The Guest explores themes of love, class, social disparity. Is it important to Quay Street Productions to explore these themes in drama?
Yes, it is as long as it doesn’t feel earnest or that we’re telling people a point of view. We want to entertain first and foremost, but then I think if that can be a Trojan horse to talk about something important, that’s great. I hope people enjoy this drama and come away with something to think about. We always want to talk about important things, but in an entertaining way.
What do you think about The Guest having universal appeal?
I think we all are aware we’re in a time where there’s a huge polarisation between rich and poor. It is so universal, so it is important and pressing that we talk about it, but we do it in a way that doesn’t feel like homework.
Can you tell us about the tone of The Guest?
It’s unashamedly thrilling and multi-dimensional. I hope people won’t see the twists and turns coming, but then what I love about Matthew’s writing is the juxtaposition of thrilling moments with unexpected left-field dark humour. What the cast has bought as well is a sexy shimmering tension at times.
Tell us about filming in Wales.
Matthew (Barry) is Welsh, he writes authentically, he knows the posh parts of Cardiff where Fran might hang out, he knows Ria’s world, and he understands her background, as does Gabi, who plays her. We have a beautiful manor house, and then Ria’s world, which is also shot so beautifully and with scale which feels gorgeous on screen. Then to be able to go to the Gower and see the coastline, which in the winter had a stark beauty about it. Wales offered brilliant filming locations and visual ambition.
Can you talk about some of the locations used in The Guest?
One of our key locations is Fran’s House- Maybury Court. This was one of the biggest tasks – how can we find a house that gives us everything we needed from the scripts, and we couldn’t believe it when we found Whitson Court. The house does everything we needed it to and it’s breathtakingly beautiful. It’s such a special place, not just the house but the grounds, the garden, all the land. It’s magical.
What are you most excited for audiences to see?
Eve and Gabrielle’s chemistry is so strong, they’re funny, dark, and there’s a blatant tension between the pair of them, so I’m excited for audiences to see that. In episode one, there’s a Cinderella moment where Fran gives Ria some posh clothes and does a little makeover with her, and it’s just gorgeous – they performed it so well together.
Interviews were conducted by the BBC.
Pippa Considine
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