Fastidious, Funny, Feminist: the Serious Work of Female Comedy Authors

This chapter examines Phoebe Waller-Bridge's transformative impact on UK television comedy, focusing on her highly praised series Fleabag and meteoric rise to stardom. It analyses how Waller-Bridge's work both embodies and subverts representations of upper-middle-class femininity in contemporary UK comedy, particularly through Fleabag's sardonic treatment of class privilege, sexual politics, and millennial angst. The chapter argues that Waller-Bridge exemplifies a new type of "fastidious" female comedy auteur, characterised by her critically acclaimed writing/performance, yet perceived ambivalently due to her class background and complex relationship with feminism and identity politics. By scrutinising Waller-Bridge's on-screen work, media appearances, and industry decisions, the chapter illuminates how she has reshaped conversations around class, feminism, and female authorship in UK television comedy. It explores how Waller-Bridge navigates the complexities of privilege, representation, and judgement in the contemporary media landscape, highlighting the tensions between her background and boundary-pushing comedy.