Axel Åhman is set to star in the upcoming series “Body in the Closet” produced for Warner Bros. International Television Production Finland.
He’ll play Staffan, an audience services employee at a theatre. A country boy, he has found his way into a big-city cultural institution and knows its history by heart. He also has a crush on Betty but is painfully clumsy and tactless in his attempts to approach her.
This leads to… his accidental death by chainsaw. However, it’s not the end for Staffan, as he returns to haunt Betty throughout the series.
“I found it funny to play a murder victim. I like it when characters meet an unexpected end, and when writers dare to go darker,” Åhman told Variety.
“Comedy is at its funniest when it dances on the borderline of darkness,” he added. “We don’t see much dark comedy in the Nordics. When I got the chance to participate, I just had to tag along and see where it headed. It’s also a nice challenge to play someone else’s script. I have mainly played characters from my own writing.”
As pointed out by producer Mia Oikarinen, Åhman is best known as a member of the hugely popular comedy group KAJ, but he’s also a writer, screenwriter, comedian, musician and actor.
“His comic timing and background in writing make him a particularly strong fit for Staffan and for the series’ darkly comic tone. He was very happy that we thought of him for the role – and amused that we immediately pictured him as Staffan.”
Elin Grönblom directs. She co-wrote the show with Josefin Sonck, who will play the lead. Grönblom and Sonck are already known for “Bloodsuckers.”
“I like the genre because it allows you to play and have fun. Horror, or in this case, dark comedy with some killing, is also a welcome form of escapism. We like to see characters do things that we ourselves don’t dare to do, and probably shouldn’t,” said Grönblom.
Sonck agreed: Comedy and horror are closely related.
“Both rely on surprise and playing with the audience’s expectations. But this isn’t a ‘horror comedy.’ It’s more about one person’s increasingly desperate life situation, told through dark humor and supernatural elements.”
“Body in the Closet” will start shooting next autumn, and Svenska YLE, the Swedish-language division of Finland’s public broadcaster YLE, is already on board.
“Josefin and I are both drawn to dark humor. It allows us to take a serious topic – in this case, egocentrism and the relationship between a narcissistic parent and child – and show its absurdity through humor,” said Grönblom.
“When you can laugh, perhaps uncomfortably, you can also shine a light on something serious from another angle. [The show] is set in a visually realistic world: the gray Helsinki autumn. But we exaggerate the characters and the action to create a fast-paced, humorous tone.”
The story follows the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland.
“We belong to this minority as well, but it’s a world that can be recognized anywhere. Especially the theatre world with its prejudiced, grandiose characters. Since the theme of the series is egocentrism, what better stage to put them on?,” wondered Grönblom.
The team believes in the show’s “strong international potential.”
“All our characters are driven by their own egos and needs, and often fail to see others around them. We laugh at the increasingly absurd situations these horrible people put each other through,” observed Oikarinen.
She added: “Sometimes we need to laugh at them to cope with what’s happening around us, especially in this increasingly egocentric – and frankly quite frightening – world.”
According to Sonck, the show combines three elements: a universal and timely theme, a suspenseful plot with twists and cliffhangers, and a cast of “funny, quirky characters who act out the things we all secretly think but would never admit.”
“Our series explores self-absorption, the quest for validation, and our attempts to control how we present ourselves to the world. The theater becomes a symbolic setting for these themes. But it’s also a place where secrets are brought into the spotlight.”