Series 2 of Nida Manzoor’s We Are Lady Parts will air in May, Channel 4 has confirmed. Here are the details.
Series 1 of We Are Lady Parts, written and directed by Nida Manzoor, aired in 2021. The show followed the exploits of the titular all female Muslim punk band. It starred Anjana Vasan as Amina Hussain, Sarah Kameela Impey as Saira, Juliette Motamed as Ayesha, Faith Omole as Bisma and Lucie Shorthouse as Momtaz.
They all return for series 2, which is now confirmed to be airing from 30th May.
The delay between series was due to Manzoor writing and directing her first fearure film, Polite Society, which was released last year. If you haven’t had the pleasure, the film I a riotous martial arts comedy that follows aspiring stuntwoman Ria forced to use her fighting skills to save her sister from her sinister fiancé.
The official synopsis for series 2 reads as follows:
Series 2 sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatening their delicate status quo. But as the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embarks on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and questioning whether ‘making it big’ is really what they want…”
Guest stars include Meera Syal and education activist Malala Yousafzai.
Manzoor said “Making Series 1 of We Are Lady Parts was immense for me. It was a trial by fire, but I found my voice, my style and my confidence in creating this show. Most importantly, I found my tribe – from actors and crew to producers and studio execs. So, coming to Series 2, I was galvanised. The characters, the world, the tone – it was all there, established, and ready to go. Now it was time to turn things up to eleven. I wanted to go bolder, sillier, darker, and deeper and that is exactly what we strived to do”.
“In Series 2, we explore the interior lives of each of the women in more depth. Each of them facing new, existential challenges with all the silliness, pratfalls, and banter of Series 1. The music is bigger too – more wild original tunes (penned by me and my siblings) and dare I say it, even better covers. The series overall asks the question of success. What is success? For a punk band – is fame, stadium shows, and major record deals the answer? I wanted to explore the uncomfortable tension between art and commerce and ask how much compromise is too much. I’m really proud of what we achieved and can’t wait to share it with old fans and new”.
The first series is still available to stream via Channel 4.
