Life has always been “too much and not enough” for Maxine Peake’s character in “Funny Cow.” It’s only on-stage — and out of the reach of her abusive husband — that she seems to strike the right balance. It’s there that she reclaims the sexist moniker of “Funny Cow.” Set in the 1970s, the film is set in the male-dominated Northern England comedy scene.
“When I was a kid I was funny, and I thought, ‘That’s what I’ll do — it’ll be my job to make ’em laugh,’” says Funny Cow. But her life as an adult sees her using comedy to cope with a husband who beats her. Despite being told that stand-up is “not a job for a woman” and warned that an audience will “tear [her] to pieces,” Funny Cow is determined to try her hand at telling jokes professionally. And it turns out she’s great at it.
Peake’s credits include “Black Mirror,” “The Theory of Everything,” and “Shameless.” It was just announced that she’ll co-star in “The Bisexual,” an upcoming Hulu comedy about a bisexual woman created by “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” co-writer and director Desiree Akhavan.
“Funny Cow” hits UK theaters April 20. No word on a U.S. release yet.
