Maxine Peake has confessed her excitement that Martin Freeman has signed up to co-star in her new film Funny Cow.
The Silk star will play a female stand-up comic trying to make it in the male-dominated clubs of northern England in the 1970s and 80s, and Sherlock's Martin has signed up to the cast along with Boardwalk Empire's Stephen Graham and Rebus star John Hannah.
Maxine said: "It's about a woman in the 70s from Sheffield who starts off in the working men's clubs in the 70s and it's about her rise through that world, and what a tough and misogynistic world it is.
"And we've got Martin Freeman attached, which is amazing. We all went 'Woo hoo!' when he said yes.
"We've still got to get the finances together - so if anybody's got a bit of spare cash behind the settee they'd like to invest...
"But hopefully it'll be end of this year it'll go into production."
The script has been written by Peaky Blinders and former Emmerdale actor Tony Pitts, who has experienced stand-up in the working men's clubs of the north first hand and will also appear in the film.
Junkhearts' Tinge Krishnan is attached to direct.
