Family delighted as home chosen for TV thriller

Faith Salih and her son Nathaniel handed over their house in Sheffield for filming

A family have shared their delight at having their home chosen for the filming of a new BBC thriller.

The Reunion has been written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager and is due to be aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer next year.

Most of the cast are either deaf or use British sign language and some of the stars include Eddie Marsan, Anne-Marie Duff and Strictly winner Rose Ayling Ellis, who has been deaf since birth.

Faith Salih and her son Nathaniel, 10, handed over their house in Sheffield and said they could not believe how different their home became during filming.

Faith Salih said she "couldn't believe the change" her home went through

Mrs Salih said: “A letter landed on our doorstep one day saying they were looking for houses to film in and, after I checked they were a legitimate film company, I rang them back and said it was OK.

“The junior location manager came back round straight away and he took a few photos, as I think at that point they probably had a few houses in the area that they were sussing out at the same time.

“He then gave me the lowdown on that it would be great and said they’ll decorate and you can keep what you like and it will be fine.”

However, Mrs Salih said she “couldn’t believe the change” they made in their home after only renovating it recently.

The show will star Anne-Marie Duff (L), Eddie Marsan (M) and Rose Ayling Ellis (R)

She said: “We were three years into a renovation and had just got our kitchen sorted and then they said this is the room they want and then changed it completely.

“They put up new wallpaper in the kitchen and changed the colours, and it didn’t look or feel like our kitchen anymore. It was like walking into a different house.

“I cannot believe the change and what they managed to achieve in terms of set design so quickly as it was completely different.”

Mrs Salih said the film crew had agreed her house would be turned back to how it was originally once filming had finished.

Nathaniel was given a thank you letter from Rose Ayling Ellis after his home was used for filming

As well as her home being unrecognisable, Mrs Salih did not recognise the actors as they spent time filming there.

She added: “I apparently ran into Anne-Marie Duff on the doorstep at one point, but didn’t even recognise her.”

Mrs Salih said the company paid for her and her son’s accommodation at a hotel while filming was taking place and it was an experience the pair would not forget anytime soon.

The drama will follow the journey of Daniel Brennan, a deaf man determined to right his wrongs, while trying to unravel the truth behind the events that resulted in him going to prison.

It has been produced by Sheffield-based Warp Films and funded by the BBC and Screen Yorkshire.

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