Frank Of Ireland - Character Biographies

Frank, played by Brian Gleeson
Frank Marron is a 32-year-old catastrophe; a misanthropic fantasist in arrested development, convinced that the world owes him something. Nonetheless he’s our comedy hero. Frank has a tenuous hold on reality, a single room in his mother’s house, an ex he can’t get over, and a non-existent career as a singer-songwriter, due to the fact that he can’t really sing or write any songs. His only fan is his loyal best friend, who he treats abominably, and together they spend their days trying to make the world a better place (for Frank). We don’t want Frank to succeed, but it’s fun to watch him try.

Doofus, played by Domhnall Gleeson
Doofus is Frank’s wingman and best friend/gopher. It’s Doofus’ job to big up Frank whenever he needs it (often), while also clearing the debris relentlessly left in Frank’s wake. It’s a big job for such a fellow. Doofus regards his friend with childlike awe and sees him as Frank wishes to be seen - a genius, and the coolest man on the planet. In return, he is rewarded with perpetual abuse. Obviously this is bad for both of them, but it’s so much easier to stay together than take on the world alone.

Mary, played by Pom Boyd
Mary has a laissez-faire attitude to life, a bohemian lifestyle, and a 1995 Volvo in reasonable condition. She’s single and enjoys a pint at the weekend, and also during the week and sometimes in the mornings. She is, basically, happy. The only barrier to that happiness is her son Frank - she loves him, but he’s a huge pain in her arse. Frank is prone to making the odd, massive, life-changing mistake, and is too profoundly broke to even consider paying the price. Mary is not the type of person to pick up her own cheque, let alone someone else’s, so she often suffers as a result.

Aine, played by Sarah Greene
Since her break up with Frank six years ago, Aine has been trying to move on with her life. Unfortunately a total lack of ambition and drive has thwarted this. She blames Frank, viewing him as the ‘bad penny’ stilting her progress, but the truth is that Aine’s also responsible. As our story begins, she’s started a new relationship with a doctor, and has chosen to break the news to Frank in the worst possible way. The ‘skills’ section of her CV mentions her responsible attitude and strong singing voice, but we'll discover that neither of these things are close to being true.