Falling for tough Paula

BBC Two drama filmed in Belfast. Tick. Sassy woman with big sexual appetite as lead character. Tick. Weird psycho type bloke involved in the storyline. Tick.

No, we are not talking about The Fall, but instead Paula, a three-part thriller starting this week that will unsettle many viewers – not least as the plot feels a bit all over the shop. At the heart of it is Olivier Awardwinning actress Denise Gough (right), who plays chemistry teacher Paula, a troubled woman in a stale affair. She is not the most lovable character but Denise says: “This woman is acting out in a way that so many of us do and not apologising for it. I loved the connection to her family. “She has a weird lack of intimacy with her family and that informs us why she chose unavailable men. “I like playing women who don’t apologise for what they do. They are just living and making some screw-ups on the way.” Referring to a one-night stand Paula has, Denise adds: “She seduces him in a bold way. Paula is like, ‘Get over here’. She wants it, to feel something other than what she is feeling. “I am tired of seeing women seduced on screen and having an orgasm in five seconds. “There is something really truthful about that scene, with her deciding she wants something for the moment.” Written by Conor Mcpherson as his first TV project, the storyline wanders a little. While some fans of The Fall will like it, and Tom Hughes is great as a dark odd-job man, we sense Denise knows this won’t be a huge ratings hit. She says: “There will be people who are not going to like it. It is a classy piece of work and I am proud of it.” Paula, BBC Two, Thursday, 9pm.