Ability

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Comedy: Sitcoms

Sitcom about Matt, who has cerebral palsy and can only speak using an app on his tablet.

Sitcom about Matt, who has cerebral palsy and can only speak using an app on his tablet. Co-written by Lee Ridley and Katherine Jakeways.

BBC Radio 4 FM

Ability: Series 3: Working 9 to 5

Working 9 to 5

Series 3

BBC Radio 4 - Ability, Series 3, Working 9 to 5

Matt decides to get a job to impress his solicitor girl friend. But his new boss isn't quite sure how much customer interaction Matt is going to be able to do.

Matt is 27. He has cerebral palsy and can only speak via an app on his iPad. Everyone who cares about Matt knows that this isn't the defining thing about him.

He is funny and clever and "up for stuff" - partly because he is keen to show that there's nothing he can't do, but also because, if he's honest, he's aware that he's less likely than other people to get the blame.

In this third series of the award-nominated comedy, Matt is still sharing a flat with his best mate, Jess (Sammy Dobson.) He still has his rubbish carer, Bob (Jason Lewis) and over the last year or so the three of them have been through a lot together - well a lot of drinking and hangovers anyway. Now, finally, Matt has met a woman he likes and who also seems to like him (Anna, played by Lisa Hammond). 

She is a solicitor after all and he wants her to respect him - so the next step is to get a job. But Matt's new boss isn't so sure how capable Matt is going to be of dealing with customer complaints. Matt proves himself though, and Anna comes round to cook him a celebratory meal. Perfect! 

Then Jess texts from her holiday in California and, just as things seems to be going so well with Anna, Matt starts to have doubts. 

Ability is the semi-autobiographical co-creation of the 2018 Britain’s Got Talent winner, Lee Ridley, otherwise known as Lost Voice Guy. Like his sitcom creation, Lee has cerebral palsy and can only speak via an app. He is - probably - the first stand up comedian to use a communication aid. Prior to BGT, Lee won the BBC New Comedy Award in 2014. He has written and performed four full Edinburgh shows and completed major sell out tours of the UK.

The series is co-written by Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt. It's set in Newcastle and many of the cast last played together as children in Biker’s Grove.


A Funny Bones production for BBC Radio 4

Ability: Series 3

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Third series of the semi-autobiographical co-creation of Lee Ridley, aka Lost Voice Guy.

Third series of the semi-autobiographical co-creation of the 2018 Britain's Got Talent winner, Lee Ridley, otherwise known as Lost Voice Guy.

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