As the title might suggest, Funny Woman is a drama that puts the female experience of '60s Britain front and centre. But in an era when opportunities are in short supply, Barbara Parker just wants one thing: to be funny on her own terms.

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The show’s empowering message is what drew producer and lead star Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Murder Mystery) to the project. "Barbara was a character that I feel like I’ve always wanted to play and there’s a lot of stuff in there that I got to let out," she said.

From the outset, we see our heroine objectified by the men around her as she’s crowned Miss Blackpool Belle 1964. Barbara’s response, however, is to promptly leave her fiancé and adoring father behind for the glitz of swinging London to pursue her dreams of a comedy career.

"One of the things that Barbara struggles with is people judging her physically rather than what she can do and that happens a lot with women in workspaces," says Arterton. But having adopted the stage name Sophie Straw, she eventually finds herself with a lead part in a studio sitcom, much to the delight of her father, with whom she would recreate old comedy routines in the Blackpool rock factory.

Finding her funny

Arterton spoke of her admiration for the character’s trailblazing journey: "Women were accessories in comedy, and British comedy was particularly sexist. The roles that women had to do were the Benny Hill-type or the Carry On sexualized parts. It was quite extraordinary for a woman to make it in the 60s in comedy in the UK," she said.

A cursory glance at the expanded cast list reveals a who’s who of British female comedy actors of the past 30 years. Star turns include Rosie Cavaliero (Little Dorrit, Friday Night Dinner) as Barbara’s domineering aunt, Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony, Toast of London) as her prissy department store boss and the show’s multiple award-winning writer Morwenna Banks (Skins, Catterick) as her agent’s wife.

A trip down memory lane

Adapted from Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel Funny Girl, this Sky Original drama evokes the optimism of the swinging '60s with a stunningly realised set design that seamlessly places the characters at the heart of the period’s most iconic locations, including the West End and Soho.

From the sitcom set to the TV studio bar, not to mention sharp, refined costumes, the show’s aesthetic forms the perfect backdrop to a joyous, daring and moving story. And though Funny Women sits firmly in the drama category, Banks’s vibrant script ensures the next laugh is never far round the corner.

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All episodes of Funny Woman are available from 9th February on Sky Max.

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