Funny Cow

Set against the backdrop of working men’s clubs and the stand-up comedy circuit in the North of England, Funny Cow charts the rise to stardom of a stand-up comedienne in an all-male world during the 1970s and 1980s. Maxine Peake is incredible in the central role, hypnotically belligerent in the face of rampant sexism and prejudice. Scored by Richard Hawley – who also has a cameo – the film is darkly comic, brilliantly capturing a survivalist instinct that kicks in the face of hostility and abuse.