FOR a first-time director, Human Stark has been truly blessed. The 31-year-old got well known scriptwriter Paul C Venter (Arende, Konings, Torings, Onder Engele and Sterk Skemer) to pen Vlug Na Egipte and bagged industry heavyweights like Frank Opperman, Wilson Dunster, Louis van Niekerk and Marcell Schoeman – some of whom have been conspicuously absent from the small screen.
“After we (the Stark family) independently produced Parys Parys, a sitcom for kykNET and Loitering in Jozi, with Marc Lottering for SABC3, they wanted to go bigger.”
He explains: “We wanted to do something bigger, more expensive. And compared to any sitcom, a drama is a riskier project. But it begins with a good script. We went to Paul C Venter – he is a highly-acclaimed writer of Afrikaans and English series and was more successful in the ’80s and ’90s. Konings and Arende were probably two of his biggest ones.
“He hadn’t written anything for more than 10 years. He was abroad for some time before returning to South Africa. And he was writing books. We got in touch with him, he was living in the Karoo, and asked if he had any ideas. He came back with a story set in this small Karoo town and we ended up shooting in Hanover.”
The story is set in Breipaal. The locals are called Karoliete and the new people – like the Haasbroeke family – are referred to as Inkommers. The 13-part series looks at the social strata in this small town in the Karoo and how they weather life’s troubles and surprises.
While a solid script is crucial, so too is the casting.
He nods: “We were very lucky in the sense that when a lot of veteran actors had heard that he had written something, some of them contacted us. As soon as we put the pitches out to the casting agents, the response was positive. We saw many people. The trickiest was casting young people like Leandie (du Randt) – she hadn’t done anything at that stage (this was in 2012). Again, we were lucky to have people who were hungry to work on it. And the top people came forward. Some had never done this kind of drama acting. Others had not been seen for many years.
“Eric Nobbs (Giel Swiegers) is one of the leads. He had done mostly stage work for many years and small TV roles, here and there. And he has a huge part as the bad guy in this series. His face, people will remember – if they are over 40. Marcell (Charles Haasbroeke), as well, he started his career at around 20 and has done much acting since. And he became a painter. He was keen to return.”
One face that has endured over the years is the legendary Frank Opperman (cast as Tony Fivaz, a local lawyer and undertaker), who has left his footprints in every entertainment sphere.
Stark adds: “Marion (Holm), who plays Dot Volschenk, is huge on stage – especially for her one-woman shows and larger-than-life comedy stuff. She has one TV fiction project to her credit. And she was keen to get the role. She even came to auditions looking the part with OTT make-up and long golden nails. She runs the local grocery shop and is quite the nosy parker.”
Commenting on his goals as a director, Stark notes: “You want to shoot every scene like a movie. That’s my starting point. You know, eventually, you have to find a middle ground and compromise because you don’t have the time. But you don’t walk away until you are a 100 percent happy.
“This is a very human story. Each character feels real. It is about how difficult life is with no jobs. It also addresses violence in South Africa. it looks at how this out-of-towner’s family tries to fit into this weird place. There are many strained relationships. There’s a symbolic connection with the town in the middle of a highway. There’s enough heartache, sadness, romance and dark comedy to interest anyone. It is about the mix and balance, the writer got it right.”
Aside from whetting his creative feet with this project, Stark also went through a few learning curves as a first-time director, which held him in good stead for season two, which was shot last year.
MEANWHILE, Du Randt, who is now a household face – especially after her stint as the formidable runner-up in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing on SABC3 – counts her blessings.
In fact, while shooting the reality series, she was also doing Binnelanders. And after the former show ended, she got to co-host NAWeek for SABC3.
She says: “It (hosting) is something I always wanted to do. I love travelling and meeting different industry people. I’m an extrovert. It’s like a dream job.”
On doing Binnelanders and Strictly Come Dancing concurrently, Du Randt admits: “I started shooting Binnelanders in the second week of Strictly. That was very hectic. By the end of the show, I was like, ‘I can’t take it anymore’. Thankfully, the character I play is very uplifting and positive. So I just channelled her and that got me through.”
Expanding on her role as Leah Haasbroeke, she offers: “In the first season, she doesn’t want to be in a small town. She is a first-year student and just wants to party with friends. But then she gets to know the people in the town and her heart softens. In season two, she evolves.”
As for gravitating towards sweet- natured characters, she notes: “Sjoe, every character I play has taught me something in real life. I feel I can’t play a character well if I don’t like her. My aim is to keep my repertoire big.”
On working alongside veterans, she shares: “In the beginning I was so nervous. This series has actors I looked up to since I was a little girl. I asked them a s***load of questions. All of them were so humble and eager to teach. We became like a family shooting in the Karoo.”
As for having Stark as a director, she offers: “He studied overseas, so he brings something different. He is very detail-driven and challenged me as an actress. He would tell you how to say a specific word, for instance. He knows exactly what he wants and doesn’t give up either. He won’t settle for anything less than perfect. It was challenging keeping the energy up through all those takes, but it has taught me a lot as an actress, especially when it comes to discipline.”
And the local movie industry is also keeping her busy with three movies releasing next year: Mooi Rivier, Strikdas and Hollywood in my Huis.
“I play three different characters in the light-hearted rom-coms. In Hollywood in my Huis, I play the queen bitch. It’s funny, because I wrote a book for teenage girls called, Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and now I am playing exactly the person I warn them about,” she laughs.
• Vlug Na Egipte, January 13, kykNET, (channel 144), 8.30pm.