Terry Jones directs Julie Walters, Alec McCowen and Shirley Stelfox in this “based on a true story” British sex comedy where a struggling single mum becomes a madame for kink specialists.

David Leland’s second script adapting the life of Cynthia Payne for the big screen. This is a bit squigglier than Wish You Were Here, with Walters’ performance being less well defined than Emily Lloyd’s show stopping debut. More kitchen sink than Carry On, Personal Service is a grimy but affectionate portrait of a gang of sexual outsiders. The ensemble casting is key. The film comes alive during a farcical wedding but that sequence feels quite separate from the tone of the rest of the movie.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Wish You Were Here (1987)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/