A Change for the better
The Change Review: There’s a great temptation to binge watch Bridget Christie’s brilliant new sitcom The Change. Don’t.
This fast-paced comedy deserves to be savoured in small doses.
Written, created by and starring Christie,The Change follows the central character, Linda as she copes with the menopause and re-examines her life choices. Taking a break from being little more than a domestic slave to husband (Omid Djalili) and two morose teenage offspring, Linda dons her biker leathers (which still fit perfectly) and heads for the hills in search of a ‘time capsule’ she left in a tree when a child.
Her journey takes her to the remote Eel Cafe “Proudly serving eels and mash to men since 1850” run by loopy sisters Carmel (Monica Dolan) and Agnes (Susan Lynch). Existing somehow in in the middle of nowhere and frequented by the local backwoodsmen, the café has survived the death of the sister’s father. We can be thankful that Christie and director Al Campbell resisted the temptation to insert the Duelling Banjos soundtrack during these scenes.
Linda takes up residence in a derelict caravan owned by the gruesome twosome. She soon finds that being a woman alone brings her into contact with a number of oddball characters such as would be lothario Tony (Paul Whitehouse), local DJ, Verderer (Jim Howick) and Pig Man (Jerome Flynn) who has a secret revealed in episode two. Linda is guided through the eccentricities of the village folk by Joy (Tanya Moodie) at a similar stage of life as Linda.
Linda is frequently badgered by her sister Siobhain (Lisa Tarbuck) to get a grip and return to her family because they need looking after and that is a woman’s role in life.
Whether Linda’s journey to self-fulfilment succeeds we will find out during the six episodes, I for one look forward to taking the journey alongside her.
Wednesdays 10pm and streaming now on Channel 4
The Change Review 22.06.2023