The BBC’s New Twisty Thriller Launches Next Week

1 month ago

Here's everything we know so far about The Guest

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An inappropriately interconnected relationship between a boss and her employee? The BBC has given us a first glimpse of a new four-part thriller which promises to fill the Sirens shaped hole in our lives. Here’s everything we know so far about The Guest, starring Gabrielle Creevy, Eve Myles and more, and produced by the team that brought us Fool Me Once and Missing You.

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Fran (EVE MYLES) & Ria (GABRIELLE CREEVY) in The Guest. (© BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgeway)

The Guest: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

Written by multi-award-winning writer Matthew Barry, directed by Ashley Way and produced by Quay Street (perhaps best known for their gripping Harlan Coben adaptations), The Guest is an upcoming four-part thriller centring on two women and their toxic yet beguiling relationship.

Ria (GABRIELLE CREEVY) in The Guest. (© BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgeway)

What Will Happen?

Lead star Eve describes The Guest as ‘an intense, female led thriller’. ‘It is a story about ambition, opportunity, trauma and love,’ she tells C&TH, adding creator Matthew Barry ‘has written a very special piece of TV’.

The first episode will introduce us to successful business owner Fran (Myles) and her employee Ria (Gabrielle Creevy). Ria is at a bit of a loose end: she hasn’t taken the time to think about what she actually wants from life, or from the world. So when she is hired by Fran as a cleaner, she’s beguiled by this confident, self-assured woman who encourages her to take control of her life.

When Ria flourishes, an intense friendship is forged – but not one without its complications. Because Fran’s advice also leads to a shocking event, and the lives of these two very different women become intertwined, bound by grave secrets and dangerous plots. What follows is a compelling game of cat and mouse. But who is playing who? Watch the trailer below to cast your guess…

‘When I read The Guest, I said yes before the deal was even discussed,’ Eve says, calling the series ‘a perfect story’ and describing the production team at Quay Street as ‘amazing’. Eve adds her part as Fran was ‘a very challenging role’.

The series was penned by Welsh screenwriter Matthew Barry, who has worked on everything from Men Up and Industry to The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The idea for The Guest came from his ‘love of 90s thrillers, like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Pacific Heights,’ he tells the BBC. ‘I wanted to create a fun, twisty thriller, but with the unique perspective of a working-class character.’

The class differences between Ria and Fran are at the heart of Barry’s drama, because the writer wanted the highlight the ‘class and wealth disparities that exist – and are widening – in society’. ‘Social mobility is getting more difficult, and I felt it was important to tackle that issue on screen,’ Barry says. ‘Ria’s journey is deeply tied to class disparity. For her, it’s not just about breaking through a glass ceiling; it’s more like she’s been trapped in a concrete bunker since birth, facing nearly insurmountable obstacles.

‘Fran, on the other hand, comes from wealth and privilege,’ Barry adds. ‘Ria has never been a part of that world – she’s seen it but never stepped into it. For the first time, she gets the chance to not just look but to take, and Fran is the one who encourages her to do so. This shift is a huge moment for Ria, as she’s guided to take what she’s never had the opportunity to reach before.’

Who Will Star?

Filmed in Cardiff at the end of 2024, Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy lead The Guest as Fran and Ria respectively.

Welsh star Eve is perhaps best known for her roles in Torchwood and Broadchurch, but she has most recently starred in Hijack and The Crow Girl. Fellow Welshwoman Gabrielle, meanwhile, is more of a newcomer, having starred in In My Skin, The Pact, Three Women and Black Doves.

They’ll be joined by Siôn Daniel Young, Bethan Mary-James, Julian Lewis Jones and more. The full cast we know so far includes: