The second series of Alma’s Not Normal lands next week and Sophie Willan has explained how she approached its return.
“Once I realised that the stories I needed to tell weren’t just about Alma or personal to me – they were political, philosophical and things we need to talk about – the story just flowed out of me,” she said.
Willan, the inaugural winner of the Caroline Aherne Butrsary back in 2018, explained her writing process and inspiration.
“Humour is about rage and optimism, in my opinion and the emotion of the story comes from a place of love and sadness. I believe if you’re able to tap into all these emotions and authentically tell the story with generosity and pragmatism, that’s what will come out. Also, Northerners have a natural gallows humour so it’s sort of innate.”
In the new series, Alma is back in Bolton and hoping to make changes, but nothing seems to go to plan.
But as well as the comedy, there’s also the political messages she alluded to, not least mental health.
“I continued to tackle it with humour and heart … but with more candid rage. I wanted to take the state to task and show how people’s lives have genuinely been affected for the worst by the detrimental cuts to social care services,” she explained.
“I wanted to show how this cycle along with the housing crisis has criminalised and institutionalised vulnerable people and particularly, I wanted to show the impact on vulnerable women.”
Willan added that humour helped when going into darker themes.
“In my view, comedy is both a rebellious act and a survival mechanism. I don’t really see comedy and drama as separate—they naturally co-exist. If the story is authentic and the characters feel real, the comedy and drama will seamlessly intertwine and move an audience in equal measure.”
In creating Alma’s world, Willan said she creates mood boards to visualise the music and costumes at a very early stage.
“From the very beginning of crafting the show, I had a clear vision for the music and costume because they play such a huge part in her world. The soundtrack was all about rebellious women—Riot Grrrl, punk, soul, divas, voices that reflect Alma’s own boldness and vulnerability. That spirit of defiance and passion is woven through every scene.
“Costume was just as important and was actually written into the script on some occasions; a leopard print onesie for Joan, a silver bomber jacket for Lin, and of course, Alma’s iconic pink fluffy coat. I had a mood board from the start, mapping out how I wanted the font, colours, and the overall feel of the series to look.
“Then, I got to collaborate with some incredibly talented people – particularly Andrew Chaplin the director who brought a brilliant creative vision and sophistication to the show. And Daniella Pearman, our costume designer, who took that vision and infused it with so much thought and imagination, adding intricate details that really brought each character to life.
“It’s great working with people you have such an established connection and creative shorthand with. We’ve worked long enough now that we all share a collective vision for the show. That collaboration has only strengthened the series, making it feel even more cohesive and grounded in this world we’ve built together.”
As creator, writer, exec and led character does that make it an easy or difficult process?
“Being the showrunner on a production comes with both its benefits and challenges. On one hand, it’s wonderful to have the autonomy to oversee the whole process and really bring a clear vision to life. I can ensure that everything from the first script to the final cut in the edit aligns feels right which is a huge privilege. But it’s also a lot of responsibility, and you have to manage it carefully.
“What’s crucial is working collaboratively with the team. I’m very lucky that the director is not only a joy to work with but we have a great shorthand and a shared vision, which makes the process much smoother. It’s been important for me and Chappers (Andrew Chaplin, Director) to have fun working together and brainstorming and that’s come about naturally through a mutual respect of each other’s work.”
Alma’s Not Normal starts at 10pm on Monday 7 October on BBC Two and iPlayer.
