TV & REVIEWS
Our pick of what to watch this week, plus the best podcasts and new books…
Set in the Swinging Sixties, new comedy drama Funny Woman stars Gemma Arterton as Barbara Parker, a Blackpool beauty queen who moves to London in search of fame. Based on Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel Funny Girl, the six-parter follows Barbara’s rise to stardom after she lands a role in a sitcom. Here, Gemma reveals more…
Tell us about Barbara…
Her mum disappeared when she was young and her dad George (David Threlfall) raised her. They have a very close relationship and that’s where she gets her love of comedy from. She wants more from life than being a beauty queen, working in a Blackpool rock shop and becoming a wife, so she goes to London to try and make it as something.
What attracted you to the role? Sometimes you get characters that you have an affinity with and Barbara is one of them. The 1960s was a time when this new wave of edgy, working-class humour started to come through, and for a woman to make it in comedy was quite unusual.
How does she get on as a Northern girl in London?
She tries to hold on to her Northern sensibilities, but struggles as she gets sucked into London life. Her roots are what define her, what make her special and what make her stand out. The theme throughout is her trying to find out how she relates to the showbiz world, being who she is and where she’s from, at a time when there weren’t many TV actors with regional accents.
How did you find the Blackpool accent? My best mate’s son has a Blackpool accent, so I spoke to him, and I also worked with an accent coach. He found me this recording of women from Blackpool chatting about random stuff, so I listened to it religiously.
Who do you think the show will appeal to and why?
Everyone, because it’s fun, cutting-edge, moving and surprising!
✱ Funny Woman is on Sky Max