Deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis has already smashed her share of glass ceilings, moving from a high-profile role on EastEnders to a victory on Strictly Come Dancing and then on to a wily appearance on Doctor Who. In her first leading television role, however, she’s surpassed herself. In ITV’s Code of Silence, a sexy, funny and edgy six-part crime thriller, Ayling-Ellis delivers a performance fit to rank alongside the best work of Saoirse Ronan, re-writing the rules, along the way, for how a heroine should look and talk. Code of Silence seems likely to boost her reputation in the States (it will be available on streaming service BritBox). I have two predictions. Ayling-Ellis will, one day, win an Oscar. And, when accepting the award, she’ll use BSL to crack a wicked in-joke.
Plot-wise, Code of Silence has a familiar ring. Ayling-Ellis is Alison Brooks, a deaf woman working in a police canteen, who, thanks to her brilliant lip-reading skills, becomes part of an investigation into a jewellery heist, ultimately earning the respect of DI James Marsh and DS Ashleigh Francis (Andrew Buchan and Charlotte Ritchie). In the recent, cringeworthy Channel 4 series, Patience, an autistic woman who’s brilliant at solving puzzles becomes part of a police investigation, ultimately earning the respect of the cops. It’s the latest British underdog trope: the special-needs protagonist, with a special set of skills. Be patient, though. Alison is “different” in a way that’s genuinely different.
