Tracey Ullman

Ullman’s Judi Dench in Tracey Ullman’s Show begins with the recognisable authority of a much-loved actor, then places that screen persona inside deliberately absurd situations. The sketch’s misbehaviour is invented; the joke depends on the mismatch with Dench’s public standing. Start with those scenes and Ullman’s Television Academy interview about developing the character. Her performance combines speech, expression and bearing so that the parody remains legible even when the fictional action is far removed from the subject’s familiar roles.