Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy have a hit on their hands with The Guest – a four-part thriller airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
After winning widespread acclaim, fans have been wondering if the series is based on a true story, and as it turns out, many of the scenes are "ripped" from screenwriter Matthew Barry's life.
In The Guest, fans are introduced to Ria (Creevy), a down-on-her-luck working-class cleaner who accepts an offer to work for thriving businesswoman Fran (Myles). As the two become close friends, however, Ria finds herself drawn into a dangerous psychological game with bloody consequences.
Speaking with Radio Times, screenwriter Barry explained that some of his real-life experiences had inspired the show's central themes. "I'm a working-class boy from Cardiff myself, so I've always been really interested in themes of class and social mobility," he said. "There are scenes in the first episode that are completely ripped from my own life."
Reflecting on his time at Warwick University, Barry noted: "I kind of realised, because I hadn't gone to a private school, that it just was never even in the ether, and a lot of my experience at university and subsequently is where Fran's speech in the first episode comes from about people playing by different rules."
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Following the show's premiere, The Guest has been well-received. In our review, we described the series as "undeniably addictive" and an "unhinged ride that goes from zero to 100 in a heartbeat."
Meanwhile, The Guardian lauded the show's "high-calibre cast" and "propulsive plot", calling The Guest a "fast, furious, preposterous thriller". Heaping praise on Greevy and Myles' "terrific" performances, The Standard argued that while the plot could be "silly" at times, The Guest worked so well because "it's their dynamic that keeps the show interesting."
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Speaking with the BBC, Barry explained how he'd developed the series. "The idea for The Guest came from my love of 90s thrillers, like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Pacific Heights," he said.
"I wanted to create a fun, twisty thriller, but with the unique perspective of a working-class character."
All episodes of The Guest are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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