Generation games
Relations between teenagers and their parents are laid painfully bare in this compelling new thriller…
The Gathering centres around the attack of a teenager called Kelly at a rave,” explains Eva Morgan, who plays gymnast Kelly in this absorbing new drama from the team behind Vigil and Line Of Duty. “We follow her journey alongside the storylines of other young people and their parents, who are all suspects. Kelly is an elite gymnast who hangs around a group of free runners, which is where her heart lies – and she has to balance these two different worlds and the people in them.
“In gymnastics, she has her teammate and sometime-rival Jess [Sadie Soverall], then there’s Adam [Sonny Walker] from the free-running world who she’s known for years, and Bazi [Luca KamlehChapman], who she builds a connection with,” continues Eva. “They all come from such different backgrounds, and the series explores these worlds intertwining…”
Also starring in the Liverpool-set six-parter
– launching with two episodes this week – is
The Responder’s Warren Brown as Kelly’s hard-working father Paul, raising Kelly and her younger brother Tate alone after the death of their mum, with Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson playing Jessica’s pushy and unlikeable mother Natalie.
“Kelly’s from a working-class family who all love the bones of each other,” explains Eva. “She’s still grieving the death of her mother and has had to grow up very fast – similar to the characters Adam and Bazi. Kelly is such a force, I absolutely love her – and
I hope when people watch, they’ll be rooting for her. All the young people in this show are dealing with pressure and responsibility at such a young age, which I think is reflective of young people today.”
The series opens with the shocking scenes at an illegal beach rave, Kelly’s violent attack rocking her Merseyside community as word spreads – suspicion shifting to a different teenager and their family with each of the episodes, which move
I hope when people watch, they’ll be rooting for Kelly…
between past and present throughout the run…
“I’m hoping the series will appeal to both young and old audiences,” shares Eva. “We’ve got a lot of high stakes going on and there’s a lot of heartbreak in many forms. The Gathering is an absolute force and is needed on our screens. It feels fresh, the writing is incredible, and the camerawork is moving and beautiful. And it’s Scouse! It’s going to be a great watch…”
This new eight-part reality competition sees host Stephen Mangan welcome 10 pairs of contestants to a luxury Caribbean resort for the chance to win a briefcase brimming with £250,000. Only, they don’t know which case contains the cash…
“When the game was explained to me and I played it, it’s just brilliant,” shares Stephen. “It’s pretty simple, but endlessly fascinating, so a combination of that, alongside the backdrop it’s set in, was pretty irresistible!”
Upon arrival at The Fortune Hotel, each duo is handed a case. Eight are empty, one holds the prize money, and
one contains the dreaded ‘Early Checkout Card’. While us viewers will know who’s got which case, individual pairs only know what’s in their own. Cue a series of challenges from which they must try to deduce who has what – leading to plenty of drama between the pairs…
“Some got on like a house on fire, some wanted to set each other’s houses on fire!” chuckles Stephen. “People trying to cover up the fact that they didn’t like each other was almost funnier and more dramatic than people being openly hostile!”