Edinburgh play gets BBC Three comedy treatment

Award-winning Edinburgh Festival play Fleabag is to be turned into a series for BBC Three.

The show, which will begin filming later this year, will be adapted from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s play. Broadchurch and Crashing star Waller-Bridge also plays the eponymous Fleabag; a dry-witted, angry, cash-strapped, grief-riddled, porn-watching young woman trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy.

As she hurls herself headlong at modern living, Fleabag is thrown roughly up against the walls of contemporary London, sleeping with anyone who dares to stand too close, squeezing money from wherever she can, rejecting anyone who tries to help her, and keeping up her bravado throughout.

The cast includes Olivia Colman (Rev, Peep Show, The Night Manager), Bill Paterson (Outlander, Sea Of Souls, Dad’s Army), Hugh Dennis (Outnumbered, Not Going Out), Hugh Skinner (W1A, Poldark), Jamie Demetriou (People Time), Jenny Rainsford, Sian Clifford and US comedian Brett Gelman (Love, Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm).

Waller-Bridge said: “’I can’t believe they’ve let me do this.”

Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, said: ”BBC Three is home to the best new British comedy. We’re thrilled Phoebe and the cast will be joining People Just Do Nothing, Cuckoo, Josh, Witless, Sunny D and all our other original British comedy on BBC Three.”

Shane Allen, Controller of BBC Comedy Commissioning, says: “This knocked me for six when I saw the one woman stage play, utterly distinctive and the writing has attracted the wish-list cast for the TV series. Phoebe is destined for great things and it’s a perfect fit for BBC Three, whose mission is to uncover and nurture the writing and performing stars of tomorrow.”

The six-part series will be available on BBC Three later this year.