A NEW comedy show which is Bolton to the core will be screened on BBC2 on Tuesday night.

Alma’s Not Normal stars Bolton-born comedian Sophie Willan who has also written and produced the show.

Sophie plays the rebellious Alma who decides to follow her dream and become a star and leave Bolton behind while coping with a heroin addict mum and an eccentric grandma.

It may sound like an outlandish plot but it is all based on Sophie’s own experiences. Her mother was an addict and she spent much of her teens in care before being found accommodation by the Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme.

“Alma is a fictional character,” said Sophie, who has become one of the rising stars of the stand-up comedy world. “But there are lots of similarities which people who know me will pick up on. I have written what I know about so it’s an inspired by story rather than being an autobiographical story.”

Sophie was the first recipient of the Caroline Aherne Bursary Award which aims to develop comedy talent.

Tuesday’s show is the pilot episode and Sophie is hoping that a full six-part series will be commissioned.

“That’s the aim,” she said. “I’ve been asked to write a second episode which I’m working on and we should know soon about a whole series.”

As the show’s writer and executive producer Sophie was determined it would have strong Bolton links.

“I was determined that it would all be shot in Bolton,” she said. “We used three flats belonging to Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme and the chief executive Maura Jackson was a partner on the production. We also shot in Queens Park and even have a scene involving Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe.

“Had we not had this lockdown we were planning on a screening for young care leavers in Bolton and BYPHS staff.”

Alma’s Not Normal, BBC2, Tuesday, 10pm