Interview: Writer Matthew Barry on his new BBC One thriller The Guest

Rhys John Edwards

Welsh screenwriter Matthew Barry looks set for another hit. After the huge success of his 2023 one-off drama Men Up, he’s now captivating audiences again with The Guest – a 90s-thriller-inspired series starring Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy.

“I love 90s thrillers like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female – and I was keen to explore that territory,” Barry tells me when we meet ahead of the BAFTA Cymru premiere of episode one.

“But I also felt that we’re so used to seeing these kinds of stories through the eyes of middle-class characters.”

So, instead, Barry wanted to centre the drama on Gabrielle Creevy’s character Ria, a cleaner drawn into the world of a wealthy and magnetic figure Fran, played by Eve Myles.

Twist-turning, fun and unashamedly mainstream

“What I wanted to do was tell the story from the viewpoint of a working-class, Ripley-esque character,” he explains. “The Talented Mr. Ripley was actually a big reference for me, this idea of someone stepping into this opulent world – but I also wanted to make a twist-turning, fun, unashamedly mainstream thriller.”

Class division runs through The Guest, with Ria’s working-class identity set against the affluence of upper-middle-class Fran. Ria is both drawn to and unsettled by her: she sees Fran as aspirational yet intimidating, while Fran regards Ria almost as a pet project – someone she can shape, or even “improve.”

What begins as encouragement quickly slips into manipulation, with words of praise regularly undercut by casual put-downs. Fran seems intent on building Ria up and dismantling her at the same time. And whilst Ria recognises both the patronising edge of Fran’s interest and the blind spots of her privilege, she remains susceptible to Fran’s allure, torn between admiring her and wanting, at times, to become her.

Myles has said that the world her character inhabits shows a side of Welsh life rarely seen on screen: ‘It’s rare to see Wales portrayed like this – opulent, ambitious, creative.’

Barry agrees. “I think that is completely true. We very rarely, if ever, see that really aspirational side of Wales. And there’s a lot of affluence here, but for whatever reason, we tend to focus on other sides of our culture – but I think showing a side of Cardiff which is glossy and aspirational, feels pretty fresh.”

The more eyes on Wales, the better

Wales – and Welsh identity, specifically – play a central role in Barry’s approach to storytelling. He is passionate about representing Wales on screen and hopes that The Guest will reach wide audiences: the more eyes on Wales, the better.

But his interest goes beyond simple representation. Barry believes that the more a story is rooted in a specific place and culture, the more universally it can resonate.

“I grew up here, so I knew immediately where Fran and Ria’s homes would be. I knew exactly where they would live. So that’s all really important. But I think what’s equally important is, from being really specific, you get universal appeal. It’s the specificity of Cardiff that makes it real.”

Even when considered against the backdrop of a thriller, it’s these real-life insights that have fuelled the drama. The Guest may be more fantastical than his previous work on Men Up, but Barry’s own experiences still find their way into the story.

“I’m not Ria, but there are definitely parts of me in her,” he says. “When I went to university and met a lot of people from private schools, I just felt like I didn’t know what they were talking about. It was the first time I realised this wasn’t really a level playing field.”

He points to a scene in which Ria is daunted by Fran eating with chopsticks, as a direct nod to his own life. “I looked up how to use chopsticks on YouTube – that was me. Inevitably, your own experiences make their way into whatever kind of story you’re telling.”

Harder than it used to be

The last time we spoke, while promoting Men Up, Matthew reflected on how Wales had become a thriving hub for television and film, with shows like Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Casualty all being made here. But the past year has been arguably one of the toughest for the industry. Some point to the end of the streaming boom, others to rising production costs, but the result is that nearly 50% of film and TV freelancers are currently out of work.

“It’s really scary. The hardest thing about making a show now is that, even if you’re greenlit, that’s not enough money to actually make it. So where’s the rest coming from? A distributor, another foreign network… it’s really tough.”

Yet he remains hopeful. “At the same time, I am optimistic. The BBC is still making a lot of drama. Channel 4 have poured more money into their drama slate, and Netflix continue to produce big shows. There’s no doubt it’s harder than it used to be – but I haven’t given up yet.”

Fail often and fail well

I ask whether he has any advice for maintaining such a positive outlook, particularly for those aspiring to enter the industry but have yet to take their first steps. The challenge, surely, feels greater than ever, when even established professionals face few, if any, opportunities.

“Without question, there’s a lot of nervousness at whatever level you are. It’s just a case of keeping going and as a writer, specifically, I’d say always have two great scripts, and essentially, don’t take no for an answer.”

“Just keep knocking on those doors,” he advises, “whether it’s trying to land your first job as a runner or break into scriptwriting. Remember, nos are fine. The more nos you collect, the better – you’re building up. You always learn more from failing than from succeeding. Fail often, and fail well.”

On what he hopes audiences take from The Guest, Barry says: “I just want people to have a really good time. From the beginning, I wanted this to be fun, mainstream and propulsive.”

“Yes, we do explore elements of class and society,” he adds, “but I never wanted it to feel issue-led. At the end of the day, it’s hopefully just a really entertaining thrill ride.”

The Guest airs on Mondays at 9pm on BBC One, with all episodes available now on BBC iPlayer.