Spirited

Uptight dentist Suzy Darling (Claudia Karvan) leaves her egotistical husband Steve (Rodger Corser) and moves her children Elvis (Louis Fowler) and Verity (Charlie Hancock) into a beautiful penthouse apartment to start a new life. She soon finds that the home is already occupied: by Henry (Matt King), a strangely attired British man who has lost his memory. To make matters more mysterious, it soon becomes apparent that no one but Suzy can see him. Has the stress of her marriage breakdown caused Suzy to lose her mind? Or is there something more magical going on here?

Suzy (Claudia Karvan) and Henry (Matt King) are still coming to terms with their new "living arrangements" when they learn that Henry was front man for legendary British punk rock band The Nerve. Desperate to learn who he was, how he died and just why he is here, Henry annoys Suzy at every chance and is soon wreaking havoc in her life. Meanwhile, ex-husband Steve (Rodger Corser) concocts a plan to win Suzy back while therapist sister Jonquil (Belinda Bromilow) has an agenda all of her own...

Henry (Matt King) awakes on the rooftop of the Elysian, memories of past glories starting to flood back in his dreams. Feeling more alive than ever, he sees the opportunity to be reborn via the magic of the Internet and with Suzy’s (Claudia Karvan) help contacts his loyal followers through a fan website. Steve (Rodger Corser) launches a plan to get back at Suzy for leaving him by buying Verity (Charlie Hancock) a miniature pony to reside in the penthouse, but his plan backfires when Suzy appears to embrace it. Henry is disgusted by Suzy’s passive aggressive tactics and tries to persuade her to get a bit of punk into her life. He is rather surprised to find what a punk she really is at heart...

Henry’s (Matt King) existential angst continues to roar through his dreams and he wakes to find a shrine of sorts out the front of The Elysian: the call he sent out through the internet has been answered! Henry tries to convince a skeptical Suzy (Claudia Karvan) these fans should be encouraged when he catches sight of a bearded man in Suzy’s dental surgery who drops lines that sound awfully familiar. This is none other than Zac Hannigan (Angus Sampson), tax lawyer and part-time rock journalist - bonafide chronicler of Henry’s life - Suzy is surprised when Henry does not want him around. It seems Henry’s memory is returning only for him to find there are things he’d rather forget...

When Henry (Matt King) and Suzy (Claudia Karvan) meet in a dream in Manchester, 1982, new possibilities for their relationship unleash a previously unspoken sexual tension that is played out through a series of dreams and unexpected encounters. Nerve nerd Zac Hannigan (Angus Sampson) continues his investigations into Henry’s disappearance, focusing on the paternity of Suzy’s son in the mistaken belief that Henry might be his father. Zac has an awkward encounter with Jonquil (Belinda Bromilow), who is pursuing her own dream - to become the next Mrs Darling, unaware that Suzy’s ex-husband Steve (Rodger Corser) is continuing his successful wooing of daughter Verity’s (Charlie Hancock) primary school teacher, Viola Take (Tasneem Roc), with surprising results.

Suzy (Claudia Karvan) and Henry’s (Matt King) new found intimacy is making Suzy nervous. But thankfully for Suzy - although ‘thankfully’ is possibly too kind a word - a major distraction comes looming when an odd, officious little man turns up and starts poking around the apartments asking questions about ex-residents. His name is Adrian (Damon Gameau), and when Suzy handballs him to Rocco (John Bluthal) he takes it upon himself to delve rather deeply into the history of the building and its former tenants. Who is this man and what - or who - is he searching for?