Julia Davis

Julia Davis keeps returning to unhappy relationships, playing women who either submit or insist on being obeyed. Her breakthrough, Human Remains (2000), paired her with co-writer and co-star Rob Brydon in improvised two-handers. By Nighty Night (2004), she was writing herself Jill Tyrrell, a sociopathic beauty therapist. We laughed at Jill despite ourselves, because Davis makes her manipulation so excessive that it becomes absurd. That willingness to be repellent is a considerable comic strength, though it also limits how much of her work some viewers will want.

Gavin & Stacey (2007) gives her a warmer setting as Dawn Sutcliffe, and it is a sensible place to begin. We like the programme's sharp performances and the way its supporting players provide the biggest laughs. The central pair are less distinctive, but Ruth Jones and James Corden make that imbalance enjoyable. Her returns as Dawn in the specials matter when we think about her work: she has not confined herself to programmes she controls.

Four Lions (2010), in which she plays Alice for Chris Morris, is a less comfortable recommendation, though a strong one. Riz Ahmed and Nigel Lindsay keep its incompetent men unsettling: being ridiculous does not make them harmless. The middle repeats jokes that have already done their work, but the film remains painfully funny. Davis was working alongside Morris in the late 1990s, so this continues a collaboration established before her own programmes made her name. Go to it for the ensemble, not in expectation of a vehicle built around her.

Hunderby (2012) gave her filthy mock-period dialogue to write and perform; Camping (2016) brought her directorial debut. Her writing starts with characters, and she uses improvisation to develop her material. The caveat is straightforward: if these people repel you, spending longer with them may not help. Save Nighty Night for an evening when agreeable company is not a requirement.