Funny Girl will see Arterton star as Barbara Parker, a young woman from Blackpool finding her comic voice in the male dominated world on the 1960s sitcom. Charting her transformation from Blackpool beauty queen to London comedy superstar, Funny Girl will follow Barbara in the height of the swinging 60s, having just been crowned Miss Blackpool as she follows the call of London’s bright lights.

However, when she arrives in the capital, she soon discovers that the London she’s admired through her TV isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. After a series of setbacks, Barbara is offered an audition for a TV comedy show and her uncompromising northern wit proves to be the missing ingredient the show has been needing.

As she ‘finds her funny’ in her new largely male environment, Barbara re-defines the prevailing attitudes to funny women and reinvents herself in the process.

Also joining the cast will be Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Arsher Ali (Informer) and Alexa Davies (White House Farm), with more cast to be confirmed.

Gemma Arterton said: “It’s a heart-warming story of an ambitious woman with a dream of making people laugh – it’s going to be something special. It’s an honour to be working with such an incredible team and be reunited with my first ever director, Oliver Parker.”

Director of Comedy for Sky Studios, Jon Mountague, added: “With Morwenna Banks’ brilliant script, this was the perfect opportunity to bring a contemporary take on this inspiring story. Funny, smart and revealing – exactly what a Sky Original comedy should be, and we can’t wait”