Phoebe Waller-Bridge had to be ‘locked in a room’ to finish Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s comedy-drama Fleabag might be an award-winning, critically acclaimed show, but according to one influential person, it almost didn’t happen. 

Francesca Moody, 36, an Olivier award-winning Theatre Producer, was one of the first to discover the show, which centres on a young single woman navigating life and love in London when it was merely a diamond in the rough in 2013.

At the time, she was given a copy of Phoebe’s script and whilst unfinished, she immediately knew it was bound for the stage, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to be exact, but to get it there meant taking a rather unique approach

Teaming up with director Vicky Jones, 46, Francesca initially gave it time and waited six months for the then-unknown Phoebe, 39, to produce a finished copy of the script, but still, she had no results. 

After having to ‘beg, borrow and steal’ money to get the team of women to the Fringe as they were unable to pay for their own accommodation, Francesca took an extreme measure based solely on a gut feeling, 

‘I remember very early on feeling that it [the script] was good,’ she told The Times in an exclusive interview. Adding: ‘I basically locked Phoebe and Vicky in the rehearsal room and forced it into existence.’

The producer, who is also behind Netflix’s hugely successful Baby Reindeer, added that the team went on to market the show themselves with money raised through a Kickstarter, and quickly sold out their Edinburgh run.

Despite mixed reviews, it was just the beginning of the skit’s success and by 2016, the stage show was adapted into a TV production by Two Brothers Pictures for BBC, going on to air for two seasons with many still calling it the greatest comedy series of all time. 

The TV version of Fleabag, Starring Phoebe as the titular character, Andrew Scott, and Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Coleman, earned 11 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, of which it won six. 

It also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, and Phoebe landed her own wins, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress and a BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance. 

At the time, both seasons of the show were given a 100% rating on the review and rating website Rotten Tomatoes and an average audience score of 93 per cent. 

Following the success of the TV show in 2019, six years after Francesca first read the script, Phoebe brought the show alive on West End. 

Eager to see how it had changed over the years, Francesca and Vicky attended the stage production and were pleasantly surprised, ’Basically, the show was the same in every sense of the word – the script, the direction, the staging, the lights, the sound, everything,’ Francesca said. 

‘It was very satisfying to know that we sort of created a West End-worthy show in 2013.’

Currently, there are no plans to further develop Fleabag, but despite the show seemingly coming to an end, Francesca told The Times that the three women’s friendship remains solid and that they have stayed ‘really close’. 

‘Nothing’s really changed apart from [Phoebe] becoming incredibly famous,’ she said. 

Phoebe has become one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry in recent years. In 2019, following the success of Fleabag, she reportedly signed a three-year $60 million (£46.5m) deal with Amazon Studios to create and produce new content. The deal was reportedly extended until 2025 for another $60 million. 

She is also behind a series of successful works, including Killing Eve and boasts a number of acting credits to her name. 

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.