The Divorce, Monday-Thursday, ABCTV 9.30pm
FUN, whimsical and special, The Divorce is something fun and different and why we have a national broadcaster.
After a long and satisfying marriage, glamorous and wealthy couple Iris (Marina Prior) and Jed (John O’May), throw an extravagant party to celebrate their divorce.
The four-part series, The Divorce is fun, the music is great, witty, sophisticated and funny. A comedic “soap opera“ (emphasis on the opera).
This fun bit of television stars a stellar line-up of Australian performers including: Lisa McCune, Marina Prior, Hugh Sheridan (wow, who knew he could sing that well), Kate Miller-Heidke, Melissa Madden Gray and John O’May.
This was written specifically for the screen, by multi-award winning playwright Joanna Murray Smith and internationally acclaimed composer Elena Kats-Chernin (love the music).
Described as “an opera for today” this is probably what would have happened if Noel Coward was alive and writing for television.
In bite-sized half-hour pieces this is a look at the universal themes of love, passion, regret, greed, morality, fear, identity, loyalty and longing.
Luminary art critic Jed (John O’May) and his wife Iris (Marina Prior) are throwing a big bash at their vast country estate to celebrate their divorce. Their personal assistant, the pretty and well-meaning Caroline (Kate Miller-Heidke), is organising the event.
What Jed and Iris don’t know is that Caroline has spiralled into debt and tonight the loan sharks have come to make their claim – the money she owes – or her life. Iris’s little sister Louise (Lisa McCune), is near deafened by her biological clock after a series of failed relationships, and anticipates a life with Jed once the divorce is final. But during the evening she finds herself irresistibly drawn to another.
Iris and Jed’s closest friends, Ellen (Melissa Madden Gray) and Patrick (Peter Cousens), find the notion of celebrating a divorce callous – their own marriage is rock solid – but is it?
Iris’s younger lover, William (Matthew McFarlane), is looking forward to spending more time with her, but instead has a life-changing encounter at the party while Toby (Hugh Sheridan) the waiter harbours ambitions to be a big name artist and finally meets the art critic host of the party, but the encounter changes their lives in a way neither expected.
Fast and funny enough to not to be pompous, this is a sit-com night at the opera for a time-poor generation.
Sometimes you’ve just got to love holiday programming!
– Tania Philips
