Sad, strange and very funny comedy drama Flowers, feat.
Were all in a bit of a horrifying situation continues Barratt.
The reality of our predicament on the planet is… he laughs, quite bleak.
The subject becomes relevant once you see the opening seconds of episode one.
It starts with him wandering about trying to kill himself and he puts his back out.
I like the proximity of death throughoutFlowers.Its not a light escape from the troubles of life.
No argument there.Flowersis the story of a family struggling to communicate, struggling to stay together and generally struggling.
Its very funny, cartoonishly so at moments, but it isnt frothy distraction.
Dark comedy gives the impression of the most commonly applied label.
We never wanted to make fun of something that was sad.
Barratts familiar with the label because of the work of his partner,Nighty NightyandHunderbycreator Julia Davis.
Why are you sodark?
I find sadness quite funny says Barratt.
I dont know if you sawForce Majeure.
I really loved that film.
Is it the bit where she says youre not really crying properly, theres no tears?
The same things seem to make these two laugh.
Both citeFargo, Louis CK andSix Feet Underas we chat.
Did you see that play I did?
Barratt asks Sharpe when I bring it up.
Sharpe apologises, no he didnt.
I thought you were going to say Thats what made me cast you says Barratt.
Hes definitely funny, but also feels likeespeciallyNathan Barleyfeels like something else as well.
An anchor or a sadness or something.
Job done, especially so in the case of Olivia Colmans Deborah.
Colman is brilliantly, Britishly brittle in episode one.
(Di Martino was once Sharpes co-star onCasualtyas well as writing and directing, Sharpe also acts.
If the characters outside the Flowers family feel somewhat arbitrary though, its no great shame.
I love that aspect of it says Barratt, that sort of awkward hiding of everything.
Theres a lot of repression in this, especially for my character.
Is that inability to communicate a specifically English comedy trait?
As opposed to say, an American punch in of thing?
I dont know if its particularly English.
Woody Allens not like that, but theres a certain dynamic comic voice that this isnt, I suppose.
People arenottalking about things a lot.
I love the way the miscommunication develops, the gaps.
A lot of comedy comes out of that.
A lot of the stories are built on that weird instinct, or sort of lack of instinct.
Theres often if not always a subtext, something else happening.
The scene seems to be about one thing but actually, its about another thing.
Nothing can not be made funny I always feel says Barratt.
Thats a good description forFlowers.Its corners turn from outlandish to poignant to ridiculous and back in quick succession.
I dont know how to label it, Barratt admits.
Perhaps these days, Sharpe suggests, theres less of a need to apply strict labels to television.
There are shows that I really like coming out likeTransparentorLouiethat are just themselves.
I feel like that problem of how you label a show is athingat the moment.
People are getting wise to that more and more.
Flowers starts tonight, Monday the 25thof April, on Channel 4 at 10pm.
