Tamsin Greig makes the relatively sensible person in a comedy worth watching, with timing that leaves room for hurt. We value her ensemble work most, and Riot Women gives it an angry, moving purpose.
Fi1m perspective
Riot Women (2025) gives Tamsin Greig something useful to do with other actors: make music. As Holly, she joins women who have spent enough time coping and are beginning to make time for something they want. We were moved by them playing together, because the pleasure of choosing that time for themselves felt earned. Greig's contribution belongs alongside Lorraine Ashbourne's Jess and Amelia Bullmore's Yvonne, rather than above them. That willingness to be part of a group is central to what we value in her.
The comedy breakthrough came with Black Books (2000), as Fran Katzenjammer, and Green Wing (2004), as Dr Caroline Todd. Those programmes established a useful position for her: the relatively grounded person surrounded by people making normal behaviour difficult. It is a part that can shrink an actor to a succession of reactions, but her timing makes room for vulnerability as well as the joke. Episodes (2011), as Beverly Lincoln, and Friday Night Dinner (2011), as Jackie Goodman, kept comedy central to her screen work. We would be sorry to lose that side of her simply because she can do serious work.
Much Ado About Nothing (2007), in which she played Beatrice, and the television drama Belgravia (2020) make any simple story of a comedian turning serious unhelpful. Riot Women does not need that story. Sally Wainwright gives her a place among middle-aged women who are allowed to be angry without all becoming equally likeable. Greig learnt bass guitar and adopted a West Yorkshire accent for Holly. The preparation matters because making music together is what makes this group worth caring about.
Wainwright does not always trust the actors enough: the writing sometimes spells out what the performances have already told us. Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig make the largest impression, but Greig, Ashbourne and Bullmore matter as much to the pleasure of the group. We would rather see Greig given this sort of company than asked to carry every scene herself. For anyone who knows only the sitcoms, Riot Women is worth an evening.
Biography
Tamsin Greig is an English actress. She was born on 12 July 1966 in Maidstone, Kent. She is known for both comedic and dramatic roles in television and film.
Her television credits include Fran Katzenjammer in the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books (2000–2004), Dr Caroline Todd in Green Wing (2004–2006), Beverly Lincoln in Episodes (2011–2017) and Jackie Goodman in Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020). Film roles include Maggie in Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Beth Hardiment in Tamara Drewe (2010). She played Anne Trenchard in the 2020 ITV series Belgravia.
Greig is also a stage actress. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2007 for her performance in Much Ado About Nothing. In 2025 she appeared as Holly in the BBC series Riot Women.
