'This Way Up': A Hilarious and Heartfelt Look at Loneliness

Written by Irish comedian Aisling Bea, This Way Up is a hilarious and heartfelt series that takes a look at mental health in an open, honest, and comedic manner.

Aine, an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher, is trying to settle back into her life after experiencing a nervous breakdown. She is helped along by her sister Shona  -  Catastrophe’s  Sharon Hogan – and the dynamic between the two women is the highlight of the show.

The most striking thing about This Way Up is how it deals with loneliness. Despite being surrounded by people, and living in London, one of the most densely packed cities in the world, it is clear that Aine is constantly running from feelings of loneliness, and is terrified of moments when she has to face her own mind without distraction. She uses quick, dry humour in order to try and avoid facing the issues that she is clearly still struggling with. This leads to some amazing one liners, and the rapid-fire comedy mixed with honest emotion gives the series a warm, unique flavour that will leave you wanting to binge one episode after another.

Nothing is taken too seriously but, simultaneously, no issue is trivialised. This is a very rare circumstance where the balance between comedy and drama is perfectly struck.

We are living in a time where almost every one of us has dealt with some kind of mental health problem - or been close to someone who has. In this way, we can all relate to either Aine or Shona, who gets as irritated with her little sister as she is worried. There is a stark realism in the way the characters interact with each other, particularly within families, which can especially be seen in the episode where the girls’ mother comes to visit, bringing up complicated feelings for everyone.

In short, This Way Up is one of those shows in which not a minute is wasted, not a second is boring, and that everyone should experience for themselves. All six episodes are available to stream for free on the All 4 app.