Sian Clifford

What makes the BBC's cult comedy Fleabag so watchable

Fleabag divides opinion like few other television dramas. Can we even decide if it is a tragedy or a comedy? Like life itself, perhaps the BBC show is a double helping of both, with a dollop of proper sauce on top.

Review: Fleabag, Series 2, Episode 3

This second series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag definitely feels as if it has opted for a more conventional comic tone.

Review: Fleabag, series 2, episode 2

After last week's slam dunk of an opening episode the second instalment of the second series slips into more conventional comedy territory with Fleabag's main concern being the fact that she has the hots for a hot priest, played by Andrew Scott.

Why do I get the feeling that Phoebe Waller-Bridge likes trouble? The second series of Fleabag, again written by and starring her, arrived "371 days, 19 hours and 26 minutes later", in a flurry of sex (Fleabag flirting with new character, "cool, smoking priest", played by Andrew Scott), violence (a punch-up between Fleabag and her loathsome, lying brother-in-law, Martin, played by Brett Gelman), and miscarriage - suffered secretly in a restaurant toilet cubicle by Fleabag's sister, Claire (Sian Clifford).

In the end it was almost as much of a bloodbath as the other show Waller-Bridge writes, Killing Eve. Before it all kicked off, our favourite selfish, rude, inappropriate, fag-smoking malcontent (the Dorothy Parker of the Fomo generation?) had, relatively speaking, been behaving herself at the engagement meal of her inadequate father (Bill Paterson) and snaky godmother (Olivia Colman, on fine, forked-tongue form). The show's appeal lies in Waller-Bridge's gift for jumping between casual interaction ("Claire, you've been ages. Are you pissed off, or are you doing a poo?"), to fang-deep venom (Martin to Fleabag: "I'm so intrigued to see how you're going to make this whole evening about yourself"), to surreal pathos ("Get your hands off my miscarriage!"). While I felt the first series flagged slightly towards the end, this was a dark, stylish return - the telly staple of a tense family celebration, but with sudden twists and writing so sharp it could scratch your eyes out.

Fleabag series 2 review

Andrew Scott joins the cast and Olivia Colman returns as the venomous stepmother in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterful comedy.

Review: Fleabag - Series Two

Before going into this review I should state that I have one major problem with Fleabag: other critics. When the first series aired in 2016, one of the most famous scenes is of the title character played by the show's writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, masturbating to footage of Barack Obama. Similarly, the critics are so fawning in their praise of this comedy that in my head just about every single newspaper TV critic in Britain is secretly wanking off to Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Sian Clifford on return of award-winning Fleabag

The award-winning comedy Fleabag is back on television. Actress Sian Clifford who plays Fleabag's sister Claire explains what fans can expect from the second series..

Review: Welcome back Fleabag!

The first episode of Fleabag's long-awaited second series serves up an extremely awkward family dinner, an eccentric priest and some deliciously dark comedy.

Fleabag series 2 episode 1 review

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag returns with a bravura opening episode...

Fleabag review

An old-fashioned setup given contemporary clothing.