Happy birthday, Phoebe Waller-Bridge! Today is the perfect day to celebrate one of our generation’s most prized talents.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a British writer, director, and actor, known best for her TV series Fleabag. Born in London, Phoebe began her career as an actor, performing at the Soho Theater and other places in London. During this time she also made several appearances in British television shows, such as The Night Watch and Bad Education. She also voice acted for a number of BBC radio plays.
In 2013, Phoebe premiered her one-woman show which she both wrote and starred in, Fleabag. The play revolves around a complex, witty, and troubled young woman, known only as Fleabag, who is struggling to navigate through her life. A series of monologues in which Fleabag addresses the audience directly, Fleabag is a stunningly intimate and raw exploration of grief, loss, sexuality and human relationships. As well as that, although it explores difficult subjects, the play is also outrageously funny. Due to its success, the play was recorded and made available to watch on BBC, Amazon Prime, and in theaters around the world.
Around the time of Fleabag’s release on the screen, Phoebe wrote and starred in her first television series, Crashing. The show follows the lives and interactions of a group of young adults who live as property guardians in an abandoned hospital in London, centering around an aspiring actress, Lulu, played by Phoebe. Crashing perfectly exemplifies what Phoebe excels in most as a writer: characters who are complex but loveable nonetheless, and an explosive amount of humor.
Later that year, Phoebe released a television series based on her play, Fleabag. The series of the same name expanded the cast to include all of the characters featured in Fleabag’s monologues. It was this television series that rocketed Phoebe to international stardom. Phoebe’s performance as Fleabag was just as moving on-screen as onstage, if not more, and the sheer genius of her writing certainly came through in the series as well. Then, in 2019, Phoebe came out with a second season, which extended Fleabag’s story and found her navigating a new romantic love along with many of the struggles she faced in season 1. With all of Fleabag’s issues coming to a head in a heart-wrenching emotional journey of biblical proportions, season two is a masterpiece of television.
In a review of Fleabag, FF2 Contributor Carlotta Plys-Garzotto says, “Fleabag is clever, hilarious, and relatable, as well as heartfelt, tragic, and lovely. It is all those things at once because that is how life is—and Waller-Bridge is a genius at capturing that in a personal and unique way. Every moment is rich and juicy in both story and wit.” The series earned Phoebe a huge number of accolades, including the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Comedy Series.
Building on her success, Phoebe created the critically acclaimed spy thriller series Killing Eve in 2018. The show, which follows the cat-and-mouse chase between an MI6 agent and a highly skilled assassin, is known for its exciting plot, fascinating characters, and of course, Phoebe’s razor-sharp dialogue.
The impact of Phoebe—and of Fleabag—on the world cannot be understated. Phoebe’s ability to bare the soul of a character, whether it’s onstage or onscreen, and whether it’s through her acting or her writing, is truly unique. All the while, she may be the funniest writer of her generation. No one touches hearts and funny bones quite like Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Happy birthday Phoebe!
© Julia Lasker (7/14/2023) FF2 Media
LEARN MORE/DO MORE
Read Carlotta Plys-Garzotto‘s review of Fleabag here
CREDITS & PERMISSIONS
Featured photo: Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag). Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Bottom photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
