The first images from the set of Showmax’s first original drama have been released to jolt up the nation’s excitement for this cornerstone moment in the local entertainment and film industry.
In an age that is becoming increasingly digitized, with most all forms of media moving to the web, the need to keep up with the times and produce quality, authentic and original content on-demand is ever-increasing.
And Showmax, South Africa’s answer to global video-on-demand giant, Netflix is doing just that.
Since launching in South Africa on 19 August 2015, Showmax has sought to establish itself as the premier destination of local content on demand.
The Girl from St Agnes, a Showmax first-of-its-kind drama wrapped filming at the end of November this year.
The made-for-web drama series was shot in KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands and Johannesburg in Gauteng which serve as the setting for the eight-part whodunit-type show.
“Whodunit” or “whodunnit” is a complex, plot-driven variety of a detective story in which the audience is given the opportunity to engage in the same process of deduction as the lead character throughout the investigation of a crime.
The new original drama will premiere on Showmax on the 31st of January 2019.
“This is a complete change of direction: The Girl from St Agnes is a dark murder mystery that will keep you guessing and taps into the current conversations in South Africa about [the] #MeToo [movement] and teen sexuality,” said Candice Fangueiro, Head of Content at Showmax.
“At St Agnes, a prestigious all-girls boarding school in the Midlands, a popular and beautiful student is found dead at the base of the old mill. Fearful of the scandal it might cause, the school is quick to declare the death of Lexi Summerveld a tragic accident. But drama teacher Kate Ballard doesn’t believe it. On the night of her death, an upset Lexi had been trying to contact her, and Kate had ignored her. Now wracked with guilt, Kate attempts to piece together the terrible truth,” said Showmax in a statement.
The cast of the show includes newcomer, Jane De Wet who was handpicked to play Lexi by legendary South African casting director Moonyeenn Lee (Tsotsi) and Kate is played by Nina Milner, who modelled for Vogue Germany, walked at Paris Fashion Week last year and most recently starred in Troy: Fall of a City as Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons.
They are joined by an impressive supporting cast that includes internationally recognised South African talent like Robert Hobbs (District 9), Tyrone Keogh (24 Hours To Live), Tessa Jubber (Wallander), Karl Thaning (Dredd) and Shamilla Miller (Troy: Fall Of A City), alongside local favourites like Celeste Khumalo (The Queen), Richard Lukunku (Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word), Zakeeya Patel (High Rollers), Graham Hopkins (The Lab) and three-time South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Jerry Mofokeng (Heist, Tsotsi), not to mention hot new talent like Paige Bonnin and Tristan de Beer.
The show is produced by award-winning production house, Quizzical Pictures, winners of the SAFTA for Best Drama for six of the last eight years, as well as a Peabody award.
“Producer Harriet Gavshon, Quizzical Pictures’ managing director, is drawing on her own private school experiences, which sparked the original idea for the show. This is the first time Harriet has produced a series, rather than just executive producing, since 2009’s Hopeville, which won Best Drama and Miniseries at Rose d’Or, was nominated for an International Emmy, and was a finalist at Monte Carlo,” said Showmax.
The show’s directors are Cindy Lee who is a commercials director and Catharine Cooke, who holds this year’s Best Director In a TV Drama SAFTA for iNumber Number.
