Ladies First: On the red carpet with the cast and creatives at the London premiere

Ladies First is a British comedy directed by Thea Thurrock, inspired by the French film, I Am Not an Easy Man (2018), by Éléonore Pourriat. The premise of the original story remains the same, as the social dynamics between men and women are reversed, and this gender-flip narrative presents an entirely different, matriarchal world.

Damian (Sasha Baron Cohen) is a chauvinistic businessman navigating life at the top of his game. When he accidentally bumps his head on a lamppost, he wakes up to a world socially dominated entirely by women. He meets his match with Alex (Rosamund Pike), a formidable version of himself, alongside an all-star ensemble cast which includes Richard E Grant, Charles Dance and Fiona Shaw as the story builds into a thought-provoking satire.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of attending the special screening of Ladies First in London, where we spoke to the film director, Thurrock, about reimagining the original French film and the brilliant cast who transported this story to the screen.

Cohen spoke to us about what appealed to him about the script and what it was like portraying that character. He also revealed the brilliant chemistry and fun he had with Pike in their scenes together.

We chatted to Pike about the storyline and appeal of the film. She also spoke about the fun they had on set watching the men suffer the same wardrobe malfunctions as women.

Fiona Shaw spoke about what she found interesting about coming on board with this project and working alongside such a brilliant cast.

We spoke to Tom Davis about his character, Chris, in the film and the collaboration with Thurrock to bring the story to life.

Weruche Opia spoke about that flip-transition in the film and her character’s journey switching between the two worlds as a PA to both Damian and then Alex. She revealed the fun they had on set and also what she hoped viewers would take away from watching it.

We spoke to Charles Dance about his role in the film, what he enjoyed about being a part of the story and the joy of working with Thurrock in the director’s seat.

Kathryn Hunter spoke about the “delicious” script, and how interesting it was to portray women in the way that Damian’s brain works and how that presents as a nightmare for him when it becomes a reality.

We met with the original French film producers, Eleonore Dailly and Edouard De Lachomette, as well as Liza Chasin, about coming on board to produce this reimagined British version. She spoke about the amazing cast and the deeper topics that sit alongside the lighter moments of comedy.

Kadiff Kirwan revealed how much fun the film was to make, the freedom Thurrock gave them to improvise part of their scenes and the surreal moments on set bringing this to screen.