Hullraisers' Taj Atwal on new comedy: "It’s not grey and grim up north"
Lucy Beaumont's Channel 4 series is a love letter to Hull.
Hullraisers, a shiny new Channel 4 comedy from comedian Lucy Beaumont, follows three working class Hull natives – Toni, Rana and Paula – as they navigate female friendship, relationships, parenthood, their careers and everything in between.
"It's about the chaos of everyday life," Zomboat!'s Leah Brotherhead (Toni) told RadioTimes.com. "Finding your way through the day-to-day. And also just trying to go out and have a drink [laughs]."
The cast were also keen to emphasise that it's rare to see a show that's not only set in Hull, but one that emphasises the city's best feature: its people.
"It's not grey and grim up north," said Line of Duty's Taj Atwal (Rana). "That sums it up. It's the fun, it's the vibrancy, it's the get on with life and make the most of every day in every situation. It’s so colourful and loud and fun."
Chewing Gum's Sinead Matthews (Paula) added: "They're such characters and also uniquely represented. It didn't feel generalised at all.
"And it definitely doesn't feel like they're having a rough time up there. They're having a great time. They make the best of what they've got."
Brotherhead went on to expand on the unshakeable unit at the heart of the narrative: "These friends are constantly taking the piss out of each other but they do it with such love and such heart, and the show itself has such heart.
"And there's no spitefulness or nastiness. We can all love each other deep down and then just be brutally honest at the same time, which felt very authentic. And we're all from cities that are very much like that with our friends, so it felt very real."
Matthews added: "There is a ferocity there, a feistiness, but it is steeped in great love."
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- Read More: Meet the Cast of Hullraisers
Hullraisers premieres on Tuesday 12th April at 9.45pm on Channel 4 and All 4. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
