CRISIS MANAGEMENT

A NEW COMEDY ABOUT A WOMAN TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER…

Thirtysomething Marcella isn’t in the best place. She’s still hung up on the ex who broke up with her more than a year ago, her dreams of an acting career remain unfulfilled and she can’t even remember to turn up for her driving lessons, let alone pass her test. But she’s determined to bounce back from all this – she just needs to figure out how…

“I think she’s a bit broken – she’s trying to keep her optimism after a few big life shifts,” explains comedian Roisin Conaty, who created the show and stars as Marcella. “I wanted the character to feel quite real and nuanced, and I recognise the fact that she still keeps going. I think it’s quite nice to be around someone who still tries, even though the chances of failure are very high.”

The double-bill that opens the series this week contains an encouraging number of laugh-out-loud moments, but Roisin is hoping that alongside the laughter we’ll grow to care about the characters too.

“I really like naturalism with belly laughs, and that challenge is really hard,” she muses. “I don’t know if I always get it right, but my ideal is where you go, ‘I believe it, and it’s really funny’. I wanted it to be a thing where people really want to see the next episode because they’re invested in it – that was the aim, but I can’t say how viewers will receive it. They either like it or they don’t, I suppose!”