BBC Announces Brand New Thriller ‘The Guest’ Starring Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy

The BBC has commissioned The Guest, a brand new, propulsive thriller written, created and executive produced by Matthew Barry (Men Up, Industry) and produced by Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios) (Fool Me Once, Dead Hot, Nolly) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in a joint commission with BBC Cymru Wales. Eve Myles (Hijack, Keeping Faith, Broadchurch) and Gabrielle Creevy (Three Women, In My Skin, Operation Mincemeat) have been cast in the lead roles. They were joined by Cardiff-born actor Sion Daniel Young (Lost Boys & Fairies, Slow Horses), Emun Elliott (Sexy Beast, The Gold, Guilt), Bethan Mary-James (Death Valley, Sisters, Friday Night Dinner), Julian Lewis Jones (Dope Girls, House Of The Dragon and The Wheel Of Time), Joseph Ollman (Queenie, The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, Spent), Clive Russell (Game Of Thrones, One Piece, The Witcher) and Catherine A yers (I miss you, The Way).

The Guest (4×60) is a gripping, fast-paced story centered on the toxic and seductive relationship between a successful business owner, Fran, and her employee, Ria.

Ria has never had the time or opportunity to think about what she might really want from the world. So when she starts cleaning for Fran, she is intoxicated by this confident and self-aware woman who encourages her to take control of her life, and as Ria blossoms, an intense friendship develops.

But when Fran’s advice leads to a shocking turn of events, the lives of these two very different women become intertwined through shared secrets and dangerous intrigue. What follows is a gripping and manipulative game of cat and mouse. But who’s playing whom?

Writer Matthew Barry says: “I am incredibly excited to be joining forces once again with Nicola, Davina and the entire team at Quay Street Productions and the BBC to bring The Guest to life. As well as being an exciting thriller, at its heart it is an examination of class, social mobility and the growing disparity between those at the top and bottom of our society.”

Davina Earl and Nicola Shindler of Quay Street Productions say: “We are thrilled to be working with Matt again, this time on a thriller with two compelling women at its heart. Matt’s scripts are not only full of suspense and twists, but also deeply relatable characters and his trademark wit and humour.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “The Guest is a hugely entertaining, cleverly crafted thriller that will grip audiences. Following the fantastic five-star response to the tender and life-affirming Men Up, we are delighted to join forces once again with Matthew Barry and Quay Street Productions on another Welsh-set drama with this fantastic cast.”

BBC Cymru Wales’ Head of Commissioning, Nick Andrews, says: “The Guest is a gripping thriller that you’ll want to watch from the couch. Matt has written a beautifully crafted, suspenseful story – an absolutely gripping series produced by some of the best in the business.”

Davina Earl (Men Up, The Red King) and BAFTA Special Recognition Award winner Nicola Shindler (Fool Me Once, After the Flood) are executive producers for Quay Street Productions, with Rebecca Ferguson and Nick Andrews from the BBC and Matthew Barry writing and executive producing. Ashley Way (Men Up, Who is Erin Carter?) will direct all four episodes, with BAFTA Award winner Karen Lewis (Happy Valley, Men Up) producing. International distribution will be handled by ITV Studios.

Guest will begin filming this month in and around Cardiff.

The Guest is supported by the Welsh Government through Creative Wales and is produced by Quay Street Productions.

SJP