Feel Good

I’m at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, surrounded by famous people. In the centre of the innocuous community hall, wooden chairs are arranged in a group therapy circle. Sitting on those seats are stars of shows like Call The Midwife, Humans and Flowers, and films like Four Weddings. “Welcome to our first friends and family meeting.” Ok, time to come clean, as it were. I’m not here as an undercover reporter investigating celebrity rehab programmes, neither am I related to an A-lister with a dependence on Class As. I’m on the set of stand-up comedian Mae Martin’s loosely autobiographical new sitcom for Netflix and Channel 4. The title? Feel Good. The premise? Mae navigates her blossoming same-sex relationship, a burgeoning standup career and a secret addiction to cocaine, all with hilarious consequences.

I spot Mae as soon as I arrive, with her flash of blonde hair and baggy black hoodie. In the show, she describes her appearance as “a kernel of corn that somebody glued on to some sticks”. Next to her is Charlotte Ritchie of Fresh Meat fame. She plays Mae’s onscreen girlfriend, George, an English teacher who’s never dated a woman before and looks like “a dangerous Mary Poppins” to Mae’s “Bart Simpson”. This really is quite the cast. And Friends superstar Lisa Kudrow, who plays Mae’s mum Linda, isn’t even