Proper Ladies: A Fresh Take on Teenage Muslim Girls in Comedy
Proper Ladies is drawing comparisons to shows like Derry Girls for its portrayal of a lively yet relatable group of teenage girls. Created by Sabrina Ali, the series offers a new perspective on Black and Muslim characters in television.
Unlike many comedies, Proper Ladies includes bold scenes such as a character attempting to strangle herself with her hijab. The BBC short has sparked significant social media attention due to its energetic and sharply observed depiction of teenage life. Writer Sabrina Ali reflects on the reception:
“We saw our first fan edit and it had 100,000 likes. It feels like we made it.”
Set in a faith school, Proper Ladies is a 10-minute short focusing on four schoolgirls serving detention. The narrative explores their friendships, rivalries, and rebellious acts. The show embraces the heightened logic of adolescence, where minor incidents quickly escalate and everything feels urgent. One notable scene features a student delivering a dramatic monologue about setting off the fire alarm to hide the fact she used the staff toilets to defecate.
Based on Ali’s stage play, the series aims to create television that is “messy, chaotic, and funny.” It centers on Salma, a model student and prefect portrayed by first-time actor Samira Tahlil, who attempts to maintain order among her unruly peers. Their antics include slipping laxatives into their teacher’s drink, played by Lisa McGrillis. These events lead to detention and visits to the headteacher, played by Mark Silcox, where Salma discovers he wears a toupee and inadvertently reveals this to the entire school.
Ali herself plays Munira, a character who operates an underground energy drink business within the school. The group also includes Yasmin, portrayed by Ebada Hassan, a fashion-conscious “it girl,” and Hani, played by Kosar Ali, an aloof student with an emo style who secretly writes Harry Styles fan fiction.
Kosar Ali comments on the script’s authenticity and its reflection of real teenage experiences:
“So many girls I knew were into fan fiction. It was a real form of escapism. And every teenage girl goes through some kind of emo phase.”
Together, the four form a close-knit ensemble representing familiar teenage archetypes within the confined environment of a secondary school. The pilot is currently in development with the potential to expand into a full series, marking a four-year journey from stage to screen.
From Stage to Screen: Sabrina Ali’s Journey
Ali first gained recognition with her play Dugsi Dayz, which premiered in October 2022 and focused on Somali British stories. Later that year, she began adapting the material for television with support from executive producers including Michaela Coel. Ali met Coel at a press night where she shared her play’s concept and subsequently developed her early drafts in Coel’s River Library, a writing space for women of colour in Coel’s home. Ali reflects on this support:
“Having her backing feels full circle. It’s given me the confidence to develop my writing.”
Despite the transition from theatre to television, Ali maintained the show’s original perspective. She explains:
“What I didn’t want to lose was seeing the world through the girls’ lens. Not being guided through it. Just peeking into their lives.”
An open casting call was circulated on Instagram and TikTok, inviting applicants with little or no acting experience. This approach attracted young people who might not have otherwise considered acting. For many, it was their first audition. Ali states:
“Most of the time, people don’t feel like there’s access, so they don’t even pursue it. To combat this, I felt it was important to make the process more open and less intimidating.”
Challenging Stereotypes Through Comedy
Ali hopes that Proper Ladies will reshape how Black and Muslim characters are portrayed on British television. She notes that such characters are often expected to justify their presence on screen, particularly Muslim characters. Ali says:
“Sometimes, when characters look like us, there’s an expectation to disarm audiences. Especially with Muslim characters. It becomes: ‘Show us why you deserve to be here.’ I didn’t want that.”
She believes comedy offers a way to foster recognition without explanation:
“As soon as you laugh at a character, you recognise something human in them.”
Despite growing acclaim, the cast has faced racist and Islamophobic abuse online since the short aired, leading some to withdraw from social media. Ali comments on this backlash:
“If us simply existing causes this level of abuse, it shows how rarely people like us are seen on British television. But it also shows why shows like this need to exist.”
She adds a note of optimism:
“For every hateful message, there’s been an outpouring of love. And those messages matter more than anything.”
