Phoebe Waller-Bridge

I wasn’t able to catch the play at a theatre obviously because I live in faraway lands. There were no screenings near me either but I managed to find a copy somewhere; and fortunately a bookshop near me sold the play in print. Other than visiting another country for vacation last May I‌ think watching Fleabag is the only other good decision I made this year. And this year has been rough. I saw the series twice but the play itself is still an experience. Whilst it only covers the first show more season, with parts rearranged and altered to fit the theatrical structure in minimalist fashion, it also hits very hard. It made me laugh and cry that afterwards I knew I just have to read it again. It would be an understatement to say Phoebe Waller-Bridge is brilliant both as a writer and an artist. We all know that. She created perhaps one of the most complex and resonating female characters out there. We all know that too.

What makes Fleabag unforgettably exceptional and wonderfully painful is how it does not brush off female angst, which it vividly captures, as mere mood swings nor as a “millennial, post-hysteria syndrome.” Indeed it is a persistent condition that ails women—accompanied by delightful period jokes brought by Fleabag—that stems from a lot of societal norms and expectations smeared with bias and bigotry.

With all the passive-aggressive exchange, draining stoicism, and emotional restraint, all done in delightful British accents, Fleabag portrays trauma and guilt at its most bare levelled by humour raw enough it stings like tequila without a chaser down your throat (and you’ll take another shot then another and another…) But most of all, here is a flawed character that doubts herself, does not really value herself but also has confidence. Here is someone who does not allow herself to swing through the crutches of bereavement nor create meaningful relationships with people but also has empathy and kindness. And someone who deflects and copes, shuts down and walls up, through momentary pleasures, in this instance the use of sex and masturbation, either without a flick of an emotion or to numb an emotion ("I masturbate a lot these days. especially when I'm bored. Or angry. Or upset. Or happy"). She then is further embraced by a dysfunctional family kept together mostly for show each with their own personal issues. And a dead best friend, her only friend, who intermittently shows herself in dreams and memories. It is deliciously catastrophic yet surprisingly loving. But most of all, there is a desperate plea for validation and attention; Fleabag, our protagonist, accepts them in any form to alleviate a certain kind of loneliness. And I think for most of us who also feel like this, do it like this, we end up trying to get that from the wrong people. We think we only deserve that when we deserve better.

Despite this write-up making it sound like a house haunted with miseries, Fleabag is ingenious without preventing itself to have fun. At the end of both the play and the first season, hope is glimpsed through admittance and willing one’s self to finally feel. A theme much more explored in season two where a particular human connection appears without being searched for, Fleabag The Play, together with the series, will definitely be something I will revisit from time to time as life goes on; not only because I see myself out there but it can somehow be a source of comfort as well. It makes you want to keep going and makes you less frightened of being vulnerable. Sometimes it's all that matters.

"People make mistakes."
"Yes they do."
"That's why they put rubbers on the ends of pencils."
"Is that a joke?"
“I don’t know.”

I believe there is a Fleabag in all of us. And at the end of the day, we all just want to be loved. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the most logical inclination in fact. show less

I tried to discipline my enthusiasm for this series by reminding myself that creator/writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge was putting new wine in old wine skins, that most of the tropes have been used before. So why do they seem fresh? Why have I never seen a psychopath like Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer as a lovable, heartless, shallow, charismatic, sadistic, beautiful child? And why have I never seen an average-joe-rising-to-a-challenge, or, a hunter becoming obsessed with their prey, quite show more like Eve, so wonderfully played by Sandra Oh as a woman whose curiosity, hunting instincts, and compassion for a damned soul overpower whatever instinct for self-preservation she may have. I remember squealing towards the end of the last episode when, once again, one of them did something in character that still surprised him. The strong backup cast includes Kim Bodnia as Villanelle’s handler and Fiona Shaw as Eve’s enigmatic boss. The background is the glitzy side of Europe. The Euro pop sound track is the show’s one weakness, often becoming too fey. show less

A film starring Daniel Craig (Universal, 2021).

Someone with inexplicable resources wants to release deadly nanobots.

C (Indifferent).

The first act is pretty good - lots of action, and you don't know what's going on with the story yet, which is flattering for this story. The second act is all politics and conspiracies and tedious. The third act is a remake of Dr. No, except with an ending that's so misguidedly serious that it plays as comedy.

(Oct. 2022)

People often assume that a book is the best gift for a booklover. But it’s usually the worst gift - unless it was specifically asked for. Either I’ll force myself to read it instead of something else, or I’ll feel guilty for not reading it.

Joy! This was an unexpected but well-chosen Christmas gift.

Image: Books tied with ribbon (Source.)

I loved the two TV series of Fleabag, and a few months ago saw the original one-woman stage show. This book is the script of that monologue (so no show more “hot priest”). It’s stream of consciousness ramblings that are primarily about characters, rather than plot. The script is preceded by 40 pages of interviews, photos, and articles with and about Waller-Bridge and some of her team.

It’s better to watch it in some form before reading this.

The F words

Fleabag is the nickname of the central character, written and performed by Waller-Bridge: a young woman, with no filter, no taboos, and no shame, who is also dealing with grief, failure, and rejection. It’s outrageously funny - or merely outrageous to those of a more prudish bent.

“I’m not obsessed with sex. I just can’t stop thinking about it.”
“I masturbate a lot these days. Especially when I’m bored or angry or upset or happy.”

She talks a lot about fucking sex; even her pizza is “slutty”. In some ways, she has a stereotypically male attitude to sex, especially of the casual kind. The shock value is heightened by her being so obviously middle-class. She’s woke enough to be conscious of the importance of consent, but alarmingly old-fashioned/female enough to move her boundaries when “I’m drunk and I owe him a ‘thank you’ for being nice to me”.

“I have a horrible feeling I’m a greedy, perverted, selfish, cynical, depraved, mannish-looking, morally bankrupt woman who can’t even call herself a feminist.”

At a feminist lecture, the speaker asks:
“Would you trade five years of your life for the so-called ‘perfect body’?””
Fleabag immediately raises her hand, then realises the must be a bad feminist, if she’s one at all. (As for me, I’d want to know which five years I’d have to trade.)

Image: Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the original one-woman stage show (Source.)

Three walls

The stage show is narrated with a mix of direct quotes from the incidents she’s describing and her often bitchy inner monologue. On the page, it’s not always so clear which is which.

When Fleabag made the surprising and successful transition from one-woman show to TV sitcom, her commentary and asides became looks, winks, and words, direct to the viewers. No fourth wall.

Hilary

Fleabag and her best friend, Boo, opened a guinea pig themed café. However, if you adore guinea pigs, this may not be for you.

Image: Hilary (left) with Fleabag (right) in the TV sitcom (Source.)

Accolades

Fleabag, in all its incarnations, has won numerous awards. In 2019, those included Golden Globes and Emmys for best TV comedy, and best actress and writer for Waller-Bridge herself, plus featuring in Obama’s shows of the year. In an Emmys acceptance speech, Waller-Bridge said:
“Personally, I’d like to also thank Obama for putting us on his list. As some of you may know, he’s always been on mine.”
If you don’t get that joke, you need to acquaint yourself with Fleabag!

Good Omens

When you know each other as well as Crowley and Aziraphale, you can probably give each other books:

Frame 1, Crowley asks, "What would you like for Christmas, angel? And please don't say 'a book'."
Frame 3, Aziraphale replies, "Two books!" show less