Alma's Not Normal comes to an end

As Sophie Willan writes about witch trials instead

Alma's Not Normal will end with its upcoming second series, creator Sophie Willan has revealed.

The comedian says she will wrap up the series with a Christmas special to tie up the loosely autobiographical comedy.

She also disclosed her next project would be a satire about the 1612 Pendle witch trials, which she is developing Maxine Peake, a fellow Boltonian.

Speaking to fellow comedian Deborah Frances-White on her Guilty Feminist podcast, Willan said she wanted to end the series as her titular character had evolved from a sitcom creation who kept on making the same mistakes.

She said by the end of series two ‘you won't see her repeat the same patterns. Basically, they're not getting a Series 3. I'm done.’

‘I want to do a Christmas special, they've commissioned the script. But I don't want to do another series. I want to wrap up the journey. She is no longer a situational comedy protagonist. They have to not learn, that's the point. She's Del Boy at the end when he gets boring and rich.’

Like Alma, Willan grew up in care, had a heroin addict mother and was a sex worker – but then turned to writing, acting and stand-up.

She told Frances-White: ;I just want to have some fun. Navel-gazing into your own trauma's quite knackering. I just want to have a Nice Time and write about witches burning at the stake.’

Speaking about the new project in comments first reported by the British Comedy Guide, she said; ‘We're interested in the satire of it, how does it relate to now?

‘The king at the time [James I] was quite Trumpite really ... There's loads of humour in it as well. And also, lots of politically relevant things about how we're treating women and also people and refugees, working class people. There's lots there.’

No broadcaster has yet been announced as backing the project.

Willan also revealed that Inside No 9’s Steve Pemberton has joined the cast of Alma’s Not Normal, playing the brother of Alma's grandmother, Joan (played by Lorraine Ashbourne), who develops cancer. They appeared together in series 17 of Taskmaster earlier this year.

Thanks for reading. If you find Chortle’s coverage of the comedy scene useful or interesting, please consider supporting us with a monthly or one-off ko-fi donation.

Any money you contribute will directly fund more reviews, interviews and features – the sort of in-depth coverage that is increasingly difficult to fund from ever-squeezed advertising income, but which we think the UK’s vibrant comedy scene deserves.

Subscribe or donate here

Published: 3 Sep 2024