Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan are undoubtedly two of Ireland's funniest women and now these two have teamed up for a brand new Channel 4 comedy called 'This Way Up' (previously announced as 'Happy AF').
The show stars both ladies but it's Aisling Bea's baby really as she wrote the "pin-sharp and poignant" six-part comedy, which will also be available in the U.S on Hulu. Comedian Bea has previously had roles in 'The Fall' and 'Trollied' (also 'Fair City'!) and is starring alongside Paul Rudd in his upcoming Netflix series.
Bea plays Aine, a whip-smart TEFL teacher trying to pull her life back together after a "teeny little nervous breakdown". Horgan ('Catastrophe', 'Pulling') plays her older sister who not only worries about her younger sibling but also about her own life choices. The TEFL school where Aine teaches brings together a room full of characters also trying to find their own hope, direction and happiness in this messy world.
Here's your first look at the show below:
Joining Bea and Horgan are Aasif Mandvi ('The Daily Show', 'Halal in the Family') in the role of Shona's boyfriend Vish, Tobias Menzies ('The Crown', 'Outlander', 'Game Of Thrones') as Richard, father to one of Aine’s students and Indira Varma ('Patrick Melrose', 'Luther', 'Game of Thrones') playing Shona’s colleague and confidante Charlotte.
Other members of the cast include Sorcha Cusack as Aine and Shona’s mother, Chris Geere as Aine’s ex-boyfriend, Freddie, Kadiff Kirwan as Aine’s roommate Bradley, Ricky Grover as Aine’s friend Tom, Ekow Quartey as Aine’s boss James and Pik-Sen Lim, Todor Jordanov, Jassem Mougari, Daniela Spataru as Aine’s TEFL students.
Aisling Bea said: "After years of scripts and projects that never made it to air, this show is a bit of a dream come true, so I really bloody hope you like it. Sharon and I first played sisters in a TV show that got cancelled about eight years ago and we have gone on many drunken nights out across the world together since to stay in character for this project.
"Channel 4 have supported and backed me in many ways for years now, so I am over the moon to have my little baby live with them and to have it go visit its step-mother Hulu in America too."
Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, said: “Already an established stand up and actor, Aisling has delivered the most fantastically funny yet tender, poignant and surprising show in 'This Way Up' and, with Sharon Horgan playing her sister, we get two of the funniest people on the planet putting their own glorious spin on the sibling thing. We love it."
No word yet on an air date but we are assuming it will be later in the year.
