Charlotte Wells (Jessica Brown Findlay, “Downton Abbey”) argues that love doesn’t exist for harlots in the trailer for the upcoming Hulu series. Love may be lacking, but sex, betrayal, power, thrown shade, and fabulous Marie Antoinette-esque wigs exist in spades.
Created by Moira Buffini (“Jane Eyre”) and Alison Newman (“EastEnders”) and from a team of exclusively women producers, writers, and directors, “Harlots” follows the rivalry between two brothels in 18th century London. Samantha Morton (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) and Lesley Manville (“Maleficent”) portray dueling madams Margaret Wells and Lydia Quigley, respectively. Brown Findlay and Eloise Smyth play Margaret’s daughters. Charlotte is “one of the brightest stars” in London sex work, while inexperienced Lucy (Smyth) has reservations about following in her sister’s footsteps.
“It’s a show about economics as much as it is a show about sex work,” Manville said the TCA winter press tour. And class definitely is a huge source of friction between Margaret and Lydia, if the trailer is any indication. Lydia’s place is swathed in pastels and the women are posed like Greek sculptures. Margaret’s house, on the other hand, is darker but feels much livelier. “Every one of my girls moves, eats, speaks, sings, and plays like a lady,” Lydia hisses. Cut to Margaret cackling uninhibitedly.
“It was very important to us from the beginning to make it about the female gaze. We were determined to make something different,” executive producer Alison Owen has said. “Our hope from the beginning was, ‘Everything from the whore’s eye view.’”
Coky Giedroyc (“Penny Dreadful”), China Moo-Young (“Humans”), and Jill Robertson (“Last Tango in Halifax”) will direct “Harlots’” first season. Along with Buffini, the series is written by Cat Jones (“EastEnders”), Jane English (“Sugar Rush”), and Debbie O’Malley (“Holby City”).
“Viceroy’s House,” which Buffini co-wrote, is now in theaters in the UK. “Harlots” producers Owen and Debra Hayward have several more women-centric projects slated, including Jackie Collins’ “Lucky Santangelo Series,” written by Buffini; an adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s “How To Build A Girl”; and the Shawn Slovo-penned biopic about Victorian mathematician Ada Lovelace. The duo are also developing a movie about Roe v. Wade, written by Jennifer Majka (“The Bigger Picture”).
“Harlots” premieres on Hulu March 29.
