Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated production company Francesca Moody Productions (FMP) has signed a two-year first-look deal with Wells Street Films, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s production company. This deal gives Wells Street Films the first opportunity to develop FMP’s productions for television. Wells Street Films is currently under a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Francesca Moody first collaborated on the multi-award-winning stage production of Fleabag, directed by Vicky Jones, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013 to great acclaim. Francesca went on to produce Fleabag around the world on behalf of DryWrite, most recently at the Wyndham’s Theatre, where it was also recorded and broadcast by NT Live, playing in cinemas worldwide.
To date, FMP and Francesca’s work in theatre has originated two of the most globally successful television shows of the last decade – Fleabag and Baby Reindeer. FMP developed and produced both shows for stage before they each became television series on Prime Video/BBC and Netflix, respectively. Over its two series, Fleabag won six Emmy awards, three BAFTAs, and three Golden Globes. The screen adaptation of the Olivier award-winning play Baby Reindeer went on to win six Emmy awards and two Golden Globes.
FMP’s current theatre slate includes Weather Girl, written by Brian Watkins, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, and starring Julia McDermott. The multiple award-winning, sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 transfers to Soho Theatre, Dean Street from 5 March – 5 April 2025.
Other current and upcoming FMP projects include the award-winning Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen, which, having played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Bush Theatre, is currently touring to Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre Melbourne, and Adelaide Festival. The 20th anniversary of the iconic play An Oak Tree by Tim Crouch, which will feature a different guest artist in every performance, who has neither seen nor read the play, including Sopẹ́ Dìrísù, Michelle Terry, Luke Thompson, Russell Tovey, and Indira Varma (with more guest artists to be announced), opens at the Young Vic from 6 May. How to Win Against History, the solid-gold diamante-studded Edinburgh smash-hit musical, expands for a run at Bristol Old Vic from 19 June and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 30 July. 2024’s most outrageous comedy show Garry Starr: Classic Penguins returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 30 July.
Television and film production company Wells Street Films was established by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Jenny Robins in 2019. It has multiple shows in development with Amazon MGM Studios, with whom they have an overall deal, including Tomb Raider, which has been ordered to series, and Sign Here.
Francesca Moody said: “I am so excited to be partnering with Wells Street on this deal. This marks an evolution for FMP as we establish ourselves as a home for storytelling and expand the parameters of the work we make. We’re native to theatre, but we also know first-hand how different mediums can feed the other, so this is an incredible opportunity for us to build on our track record and take a more holistic approach to developing shows. Our commitment remains to the artists we work with and whilst we will continue to primarily develop for the stage we look forward to providing an exciting pipeline for development in partnership with Wells Street.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with FMP on a first-look deal. Francesca Moody has an incredible talent for spotting and developing new writers from theatre and shares our belief that much of the most original work we see on our televisions comes from writers who honed their skill writing for the stage. Years after collaborating on the stage play of Fleabag – which would not have happened without her – we can’t wait to work together again!”
