HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN

Richard Gadd is, understandably, quite nervous. This week sees the release of his Netflix series Baby Reindeer, a “comedic psychological thriller” (as he describes it) based on his acclaimed one-man play and Edinburgh Fringe hit of the same name that dramatises the queer comedian’s harrowing true experience of being stalked by a middle-aged woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning). “What’s the subscriber count for Netflix now, 260 million worldwide? I’m not saying all of them will watch it, but there’s a certain degree of anxiety!” he laughs.

Deeply horrifying, and at times, deeply hilarious, Baby Reindeer tackles some incredibly delicate themes, from sexual abuse to violence and substance abuse. And, refreshingly, Richard subverts the victim-stalker trope by depicting both Donny, the character he’s based on, and Martha as morally ambiguous; rather than simply paint himself as the hero and Martha the villain, the classic ‘insidious and evil’ stalker trope. “In an age where everyone, for the most part, is trying to be perfect, it felt like an important thing to do, to stand up and say, ‘I’ve made mistakes, I want to own them and try and be better,’” says Richard.

Baby Reindeer also explores Richard’s past experiences with shame over his attraction to Teri (Nava Mau), a “smart, funny, confident and strong” trans woman who isn’t afraid to call him out on his “shit”. Nava, who rose to fame on the cult LGBTQIA+ series Generation, tells GAY TIMES that Baby Reindeer is the “first time” she’s read a script that was clearly “written by someone who’d actually known and loved a trans woman”: “The kinds of writing that I see for trans characters treats us like we’re aliens, like no one has ever known us before, like we’re crafted out of imagination. Teri felt like she was crafted out of reality, out of truth, out of heart.”

Here, Richard Gadd speaks with GT about Baby Reindeer’s rare portrayal of sexual and psychological abuse, how much of the story is “based in truth” and his hope for survivors to find “comfort” in the series. As for Nava Mau, the star discusses the importance of telling truthful stories about the trans experience and celebrates the trailblazing characterisation of Teri. Content warning: this interview mentions possibly triggering subjects, including sexual abuse and anti-trans violence – reader discretion is advised.

GT: Richard, the story of Baby Reindeer has been on stage for quite a few years but, now, it will be available on a global scale for millions to see. How are you feeling about that?

Richard: I feel nervous. I really want people to like it. It’s a very different scale, as you say, to performing it to 250/300 people a night. What’s the subscriber count for Netflix now, 260 million worldwide? I’m not saying all of them will watch it, but there’s a certain degree of anxiety! It’s very surreal, going through different periods in my life and now almost announcing it to the world on this scale. Yeah, it’s very daunting. It’s exciting too, but a mixture of emotions.