Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd’s next TV drama will be Half Man. The BBC have revealed more details about the project.
Before he became the subject of intense media scrutiny earlier this year, Richard Gadd was a comedian who specialises in storytelling – his previous shows include the award winning Monkey See, Monkey Do, Waiting For Gaddot and Breaking Gadd.
Baby Reindeer originally opened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019. Word of mouth spread and it quickly sold out its run, won the Scotsman Fringe First Award for New Writing and a Stage Award for Acting Excellence and transferred to the Bush Theatre in London. It was scheduled to head to the West End before being cancelled due to the pandemic.
The show consisted of Gadd telling the story of how a single act of kindness turned into a nightmare, as the woman he helped began stalking him. Turning up at every gig, sending incessant emails and messages, and insidiously inserting herself into his life, Gadd paints a horrifying picture of isolation, depression and desperation. It was an astonishingly powerful show, which turned into a worldwide phenomenon thanks to Netflix. Intense scrutiny and speculation about his stalker led to online witch-hunts, which have now led to court cases.
Nevertheless, the show was nominated for eleven Emmy awards an won six, including Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Supporting actress for Gadd and Jessica Gunning, who played his stalker, Martha.
Gadd’s next project is a drama for the BBC called Half Man, in which Gadd will write and also star opposite Jamie Bell.
Read more: How Baby Reindeer challenges the way we think about trauma
The synopsis reads as follows:
Half Man follows estranged ‘brothers’ Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben (Richard Gadd). When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers’ relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way. Half Man will capture the wild energy of a changing city – a changing world, even – and try to get to the bottom of the difficult question… What does it mean to be a man?
Gadd said, “I am delighted to confirm I will be playing Ruben in the newly crowned Half Man for the BBC / HBO alongside the incomparable Jamie Bell. When I wrote the show, I did it with him in mind, never thinking for a second we would manage to land him. So I could not be happier for everything that has come to pass in getting him on board. He is one of the greatest actors of his generation and I am so looking forward to seeing what he does with the role. Thanks to all the staff at the BBC, HBO, and Mam Tor Productions for making it all happen. I cannot wait to work with you all in the months ahead.”
Bell added, “I’m so excited to join this incredible creative team. Richard has once again crafted something poignant and singular. I’m honoured to have been asked to bring this to life with him”.
Everyone’s happy, then.
Half Man will begin production in Scotland in 2025. Baby Reindeer is currently streaming on Netflix.
