Why Lip-Reading Could Get You in Trouble: Inside the Drama of ‘Code of Silence’

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The up-and-coming British actress Rose Ayling-Ellis is portraying Alison, a deaf caterer, who finds herself employed for her lip-reading abilities in an undercover police operation within the innovative crime thriller series “Code of Silence”. This series will make its debut on ITV and ITVX in the U.K. on May 18, with streaming availability on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada starting July.

The drama titled “Baptiste” and “Hijack,” penned by Catherine Moulton, who based it on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss, stars Kieron Moore, Charlotte Ritchie, and Andrew Buchan. Bryony Arnold, Damien Timmer, Robert Schildhouse, Stephen Nye, Ayling-Ellis, and Moulton served as executive producers for ITV Studios’ Mammoth Screen, BritBox, and themselves. Diarmuid Goggins is the main director of this series. The actors Kieron Moore has been in “Vampire Academy,” “Masters of the Air,” “The Corps”; Charlotte Ritchie in “You” and “Ghosts”; Andrew Buchan in “Black Doves,” “The Honourable Woman,” and “Broadchurch.

Code of Silence clarifies that lip-reading is neither a scientific fact nor a magical ability. For instance, in one scene, Alison requests someone to face her while speaking, allowing her an attempt at comprehension. Ayling-Ellis emphasized during a recent panel discussion on the show that there’s a common misunderstanding about lip-reading, as it’s often depicted as flawless expertise. In truth, it requires significant effort, practice, and even educated guesses. “Hearing individuals can pick up on the tonal nuances in people’s voices, which add layers of meaning to their speech,” she explains. “However, when lip-reading, you are relying more on body language to infer tone.

In certain scenes, the show portrays the difficulty of lip-reading realistically by displaying letters that appear on the screen as Alison observes people from a distance. These letters gradually reshuffle and eventually form comprehensible words or phrases that she can understand.

As a passionate gamer, I immersed myself into this unique gaming experience designed by Ayling-Ellis and the creative team, offering a peek inside the mind of someone who’s deaf. I aimed to create a mental puzzle for the player, just as it feels when you’re trying to decipher words based on lip shapes. You see, in the game, words like ‘elephant’, ‘colorful’, and ‘I love you’ share the same lip pattern. To solve this puzzle, one must consider context and meaning to make sense of them. That’s the essence of lip-reading, but often, it happens so quickly in your mind that you barely notice. It’s automatic for me, something I’ve been doing since childhood. However, translating this instinctive process onto a screen presents its own set of challenges.

Buchan expressed the wealth of knowledge he gained from playing Detective Inspector James Marsh in the series “Code of Silence.” He stated, “It led us to an entirely new realm, one that I was previously unaware of. It was a collective exploration. Without a doubt, it ranks among the most rewarding, eye-opening, extraordinary experiences I’ve had in my career. We learned a new sign each day, which was remarkable and something I will always cherish. It becomes clear just how many misconceptions one harbors.

He cherished gaining insights from Ayling-Ellis. “Rose would share small details, such as when she wears her hearing aids,” Buchan reminisced. “Contrary to what one might expect, it’s not a clear and crisp sound; instead, it’s quite muffled and mechanical. This can be both puzzling and tiring, and if you’re in a room with 20-30 people, it becomes a living nightmare.

Regarding Ritchie’s praise for Ayling-Ellis, she expressed gratitude saying, “Rose has shown remarkable patience towards me, us, and made it clear about effective communication. This swiftly established a connection between us, a chemistry that feels wonderful as it’s evident from their first meeting. Allison’s character is strong and clever, and they mutually inspire each other, which makes our scenes delightful.

Liam Bayne’s character, played by Moore, found himself under police scrutiny. Yet, he cherished his experience on the “Code of Silence” set and all the insights he gained. Reflecting on the role, he admitted, “It’s challenging to discuss the job and its influence when I believe this job has influenced me significantly more as a person.” This was expressed during the panel discussion.

Alison’s drive and aspirations are something Ayling-Ellis admires greatly. As she puts it, “Many deaf individuals often find that those around them make presumptions about their abilities. This is a key motivator for Alison. She works in a bar, but her gratitude goes beyond this; she yearns for more, seeking opportunities that would have a greater impact on her life.

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2025-05-12 15:55