Best Divorce Ever!

Based on the hit comedy play by the same name, directed by Julianne Christie and written by Finnish writer Ville Nummenpää. (A sold-out run in 2023, White Rock, BC, Canada.)

● 20-30 min.
● Single camera
● Comedy - Human, relatable, with a touch of surreal
● Style references: Workin’ Moms, Glow, Bojack Horseman...
● Rating: PG (adult language, adult situations, but not gratuitious)

A series focusing on the marital problems of couples in trouble, and what’s more, the troubles of the therapist trying to help them.

Gallery of characters:

Narrator/therapist

(50-60) Dry, academic, humourless. Appears to have no emotions, but we soon learn it’s quite the opposite. He cannot distance himself from the client’s problems, and it’s eating him alive. This is funny. The sadder he gets, the funnier it is.

Anna

(30-35) A modern woman, in her early thirties. Works in an office. She’s strong, we learn this, as we learn what she has been through. Loves Otto, and has admirable patience with him, up to a point. Has built a ”wall” for herself to protect her from heartbreak. Unselfish, perhaps even too much for her own good. The kind of person, who takes other people’s workloads, thus exhausting herself. Should learn to say ’no’.

Otto

(30-35) A standard guy in his thirties. A construction worker. He is clearly not an idiot, but he’s also a man, therefore has trouble reading and conveying emotions. Stubborn, passive-aggressive.
Man of physical labour, not well educated, but still not a cliché. Cabable of reading a book, understands culture, and can have a conversation… just as long as it’s not about himself, or about their relationship. Always means well, but often falls short.

Elmo

(30-40) Otto’s colleague and friend. A caricature of sorts. A man whose world view is simple: Black/white, yes/no, therefore he ”knows” how the world works. Loves giving bad advice. Vulgar, macho, chauvinist. This is all over-compensating, since he’s secretly gay, and doesn’t even know it himself yet.
An anti-generic rom com sidekick, opposite of the usual ”you go girl”-character. Might say downright offensive things, but we forgive him.

Marjo

(45-55) Anna's colleague and friend. A mirror to Anna's feelings. A ’mom’ or at least a ’big sister’-figure to Anna. She's always there to listen and help. And every now and again shares something way too personal about her sexual experience. I.E. ”Has been around the block”. Hopes to mediate, but treads carefully, always staying on Anna's side. Confirming, reliable, but raunchy.

Sebastian

(30-35) A handsome, over-confident ’go getter’ who comes to Anna’s office to introduce new computer stuff. A real sleaze, but also very charming. He seems to say all the right words to Anna, bordering on being suspicious. We learn over time, most that comes out of his mouth is a lie, and often carefully studied and planned to win Anna over. This would be an achievement, more sport than anything genuine. Not ’evil’ for evil’s sake, but he’s an entitled, succesful white male, so the world automatically revolves around him.

Anna’s mom

(60-65) Appears as a ghost of a memory. Anna talks to her daily, but she’s not really there. She has been dead for some time, and really can’t help as much as Anna would hope. In other words, Anna finds it difficult to let go. This means they once had a tight relationship, she was always there for her. Perhaps even too much, over-protective? Stern, a bit ”I told you so”-ish, but warm.

Anna’s dad

(60-65) A self-made man, who runs a small construction company. Sees Otto as the son he never had. Trouble is, he has recently had a minor heart attack, so Anna and Otto can’t tell him they’re breaking up. They go to great lengths to guard him from the truth, even if pretty much everyone else knows about it. It could be, he knows it already, but plays along, in hopes they might reconcile. Tough on outside, a softie inside. Appears as a rock, but is eaten by grief.

Otto’s mom

(60-65) Really doesn’t like Anna, and lets it slip from time to time with little words and gestures. This brings more tensions. She clings to Otto way too much, which means Otto is a momma’s boy. She’s a martyr and a drama queen. All of this has gotten out of hands after Otto’s dad died. So in her defense, she’s basically just lonely, and Otto is all she has. A conscious hypocondriac, loves to exaggerate any and every possible symptom. Uses guilt as a weapon.

Therapist’s therapist

Yes, the weight of other people’s problems can get heavy, even a therapist needs to vent out. This character gets to say very little, thanks to our therapist’s endless verbal tsunami. May end up going to therapy themselves?