Showmax has released the trailer for The Girl From St Agnes, their first original drama.
At St Agnes, a prestigious all-girls boarding school in the Midlands, the only saint is in the name. When a popular student is found dead at the base of the old mill, the school is quick to declare the death a tragic accident. But drama teacher Kate Ballard (Nina Milner) doesn’t believe it. The more she investigates, the more Kate realises that she didn’t know the dead girl, Lexi Summerveld (Jane DeWet), or the school at all. Behind the imposing walls of St Agnes, Lexi’s killer won’t be the only person exposed. Watch the trailer below:
The Girl From St Agnes is a rare showcase of South Africa’s English-language acting talent. 'English-speaking actors generally work internationally and they have to do American or British accents to make decent money,' says legendary casting director Moonyeenn Lee, who’s been nominated for two Emmy Awards in the past three years, for The Looming Tower and Roots. 'That was why it was nice when this came up, to do English but South African English.' In a South African first, the dark drama is being distributed internationally by Red Arrow Studios International (Death and Nightingales, Bosch).
It’s easy to see why: 'Crime stories and twisted dramas taking place in different parts of the world have become a staple,' says Milner. 'What this show does really successfully is set the formula in a fresh, contemporary South African context.'
It’s like nothing you’ve seen before on South African TV
South Africans normally turn to HBO series on Showmax for edgy content, rather than local series, which tend to be a lot more conservative, with nudity and divisive topics generally avoided. But conservative isn’t a word anyone’s going to use for The Girl From St Agnes.
'The series is a first for South Africa,' says Hobbs. 'When I read the scripts, I absolutely loved them. They go to the heart of the story. The fact that it’s on Showmax allows it to really go there. There are no limitations in terms of broadcasting this, no old-school rules and regulations about what you can show live. You don’t have to imply stuff; we can experience it. That is its strength. That’s what makes it unique.'
'The style of writing on this is very different,' echoes Thaning. 'What’s great about this show is it certainly pulls no punches, particularly for my character... We need a change in South Africa and I think everyone is hoping this sparks a television movement.'
Produced by the multi-award-winning Quizzical Pictures, The Girl From St Agnes is coming first and only to Showmax on 31 January 2019.
Sign up for Showmax via Vodacom
Sign up for Showmax with Vodacom this summer and get your first three months of Showmax on us, PLUS 15GB of Showmax data FREE. That equals nearly 50 hours (+50 Kids or +40 Comedy Shows or +15 Drama or 7 movies) of your favourite shows (depending on the quality you choose).
What's more, for the following nine months, your Showmax subscription will cost you just R49 per month, instead of R99.
But hurry, the offer ends on the 31st of January 2019!
