Ashley Storrie's autism comedy drama Dinosaur picked up for BBC series
- Dinosaur, the BBC comedy drama starring stand-up Ashley Storrie as an autistic woman, has been given a series
- Written by Matilda Curtis, the comedy focuses on Nina, whose life is turned upside down when her sister Evie gets engaged after dating a man for just six weeks
- Storrie has said that her own autism is "what makes me me ... I'm very good at hiding it. I've got what's called 'masking'. Ladies are very good at hiding autism, it's when we put on a muggle face and we can pretend to be normal"
Ashley Storrie is to star in a full series of comedy drama Dinosaur about an autistic woman for BBC Three, BBC Scotland and US streaming service Hulu, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
The stand-up, who is autistic herself, plays Nina in the six 30-minute episodes, who adores her life living with her sister and best friend Evie. Yet when Evie rushes into an engagement after only six weeks of dating and makes Nina her maid of honour, she is floored. Forced to reconcile with her sister's impulsive decision, Nina grapples with what this new challenge means, leading to a surprising journey of self-discovery.
Written by newcomer Matilda Curtis from her own original idea, working alongside neuro-diverse writers including Storrie, the commission of the Glasgow-set comedy follows a successful pilot that aired in 2021, as also revealed by BCG, which co-starred Bebe Cave (Hang Ups) as Evie, Vicki Pepperdine as their mother and Dead Pixel's Will Merrick as Nina's potential love interest Lee. Casting for the series has yet to be confirmed.
The pilot was Storrie's television acting debut, following a minor role in Josie Long's 2018 film Super November.
Reflecting upon her autism, and the autism her father has, in her 2019 Edinburgh Fringe show, Hysterical, Storrie said: "It's what makes me me ... I'm very good at hiding it. I've got what's called 'masking'. Ladies are very good at hiding autism, it's when we put on a muggle face and we can pretend to be normal just to make the rest of you feel comfortable."
A graduate of the Soho Theatre's Young Writers Lab, Curtis's 2018 Edinburgh Fringe play Somebody was described as "skilfully structured and wittily observed" by The Scotsman.
Her cousin, Ethan Floquet, is autistic and was the subject of the 2018 documentary Ethan At 21, shot over the course of 12 years.
Floquet's mother, Cammie McGovern, is also the author of several novels for children and adults featuring characters with autism and other disabilities.
Dinosaur is directed by Niamh McKeown (The Farm) and produced by Brian Coffey (Get Duked!) for Two Brothers Pictures (Fleabag, Back To Life) and the BBC in partnership with Hulu and All3Media International.
It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, director of BBC Comedy and Louise Thornton, head of commissioning for BBC Scotland. The executive producers are Sarah Hammond, Daniel Walker, Harry Williams and Jack Williams. Catriona Renton is co-executive producer and the BBC commissioning editors are Emma Lawson and Gavin Smith.
"We're thrilled to be working with our network colleagues and Hulu to bring this original comedy script to life" said Thornton. "BBC Scotland has been supporting Ashley on her broadcasting journey for a number of years now with a variety of projects and we're delighted to see her now taking a leading role in both a performance and writing capacity alongside Matilda. This series is another example of BBC Scotland's commitment to developing Scottish talent and bringing it to mainstream audiences both across the UK and internationally. It's an exciting project and we can't wait to see it hit the screens."
Hammond and Walker added: "We are so excited to be bringing this wonderful series to life with the BBC and Hulu. It is a joyful and hilarious comedy full of heart with a fresh perspective. Matilda and Ashley tell a heartfelt love story between two sisters that holds a mirror up to the inconsistencies of the neurotypical world. We can't wait for Nina's story to develop on screen."