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The 1980s was a unique decade for British comedies and films in general, with a golden tinge on the ten-year run that produced some incredible cinematic works. In contrast to many American comedies at the time, the differences between the two are often noted, with British work dripping in irony, satire, and self-deprecation, which create a unique brand of comedy. It was also a time when many of Britain's rising stars and comedians were really coming into their own and blossoming into internationally known talents.

There are many films from the time that stand out as rewatchable British classics, such as A Fish Called Wanda and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. These films represent some of the very best of comedy, from the surreal and absurd sketch comedy of Monty Python to films that lean on social commentary and hilarious premises to provide the breeding ground for comical moments.

Katie Mitchell made her name directing difficult, bleak drama for adults. But since the birth of her daughter, Edie, when she was 41, she has discovered a knack for madcap, fast-paced kids' shows

Katie Mitchell, theatre's harbinger of doom, "the princess of darkness", is known for being one of the most serious and uncompromising of British theatre directors. Her productions – Bruckner's Pains of Youth, say, or Euripides' Women of Troy – involve intense rehearsal periods and scour the depths of human emotion and behaviour. She enjoys using the word "rigorous" and mentioning Stanislavski and "complex psychological ideas". She is inspired by eastern European theatre, in particular the work of Pina Bausch; her favourite film is Tarkovsky's plotless The Mirror (1975); she cites Rothko as her favourite artist. So she is not necessarily the first person you would imagine directing a children's show, Beauty and the Beast (age group eight to 12), complete with insect orchestras and goldfish-swallowing,...