It’s always great to look at the funny side of life, and new series Thuli no Thulani does this through side-splitting comedy. However, while offering viewers bellies of laughs, the sitcom also focuses on the struggles of single parenting, something that many people in South Africa can relate to.
Starring Tango Ncetezo, Wright Ngubeni and newcomer Slindokuhle Tshabalala, the plot revolves around twins, Thuli and Thulani, who have to adjust to living together again after Thuli has a run of bad luck. This turns playboy Thulani’s life upside down.
“Thuli is a single mom who suddenly comes back into her twin brother’s life after she finds her husband cheating on her. Thuli coming back into Thulani’s life thrusts his life into chaos and the show deals with their daily struggles of being a pair again after so many years apart, and it navigates their issues as they try to raise Thuli’s 11-year-old daughter, Mbali," said head writer and producer, Rethabile Ramaphakela.
"Thuli soon finds out that her brother lied about being a lawyer and going to law school, so she blackmails him into letting her stay with him in exchange for her not ratting him out to their parents."
The series also looks at what it means to be a single parent as a twenty-something-year-old.
The cast of Thuli no Thulani. Picture: Supplied
“How do you still enjoy what is considered the best years of your life while still trying to raise a child? Also, how do you navigate the dating world, love and relationships? These are issues that affect everyone and these issues are amplified when you are a single parent. What the characters realise is that it takes a village and everyone needs to come together and help each other out,” she said.
Ramaphakela said the idea of exploring a twin sibling relationship has been something that has always fascinated her.
“Sibling relationships are always so complex and interesting, but then it obviously gets more complicated when you are a twin and you have to share everything. So we wanted to play with an idea of bringing a twin sister and brother back together again after they hadn’t really been together in years,” she said.
Although only a few episodes have aired so far, the show seems to be growing in popularity.
“People really seem to love it. They are responding well to the characters and story. A particularly popular episode was the one where their parents came to visit and they had to keep up the façade that their lives are still perfect,” Ramaphakela said.
Regarding the comedy aspect of the show, Ramaphakela said they never really know if the audience is going to find it as funny as they do: “You never really know until it airs. But we spend quite a lot of time crafting in the story room and working on the comedy beats of the show in each scene. We sit around the table and read the scripts out loud trying to add more jokes. After that process, we leave it up to the director and the actors to bring the comedy to life. The rest is not in our hands."
Like any good sitcom, Thuli no Thulani offers a strong concept, an even better script and, finally, the actors that bring it to life.
“We have some very exciting, fresh and funny characters that are sure to get you laughing. We’re also dealing with relevant issues of being a young parent and still navigating your twenties, which is something many people can relate to.
"It’s one of those shows that you can sit down and enjoy with your entire family, as there’s definitely something for everyone, whether young or old,” Ramaphakela said.