Kompleks is a South African, Afrikaans-language sketch comedy television series created by Mareli Minnaar, Neels Clasen, Tiaan Rautenbach and Hannes Brümmer and produced by PIT Productions (Season 1) and The Production Works (Season 2), which chronicles the lives and times of the people who spend their time on an exclusive golf estate.
The series was created as an extension of the theatre production Zef-sketsel and the kykNET TV show Blikskottel, both written and created by the same team under the banner of PIT Productions.
The show chronicles the lives and times of the oddball characters who spend their time on an exclusive golf estate. Each day they ignore, irritate, laugh at and misunderstand each other as they live their separate lives within the same confines.
The characters that inhabit this world include the less sophisticated Du Plessis family, who are originally from the nether regions of the East Rand. Three months prior to the action they were fortunate enough to win a whopping R30.2 million in the Lottery and now spend their time idly finding ways of spending it.
Also present are a manic security guard, a true “boer” version of James Bond, hyperactive estate agents who only communicate with each other via cellphones, a superstar diva and the deflated man in her shadow, rich school brats who fill their lives with pop culture and anarchy and a retired intellectual and his student boarder.
Four lead actors portray various radically different characters who live out their quirks and problems. Adding to this Kompleks world are an ensemble cast who play additional characters.
Kompleks 2 was nominated for four comedy awards at the third annual SAFTA Awards in February 2009, in the following categories: Best Director (Alex Yazbek), Best Ensemble Cast, Best Writing Team and Best Comedy.
Characters
The Lotto Winners: The Du Plessis Family
The Du Plessis family has four members: Ma du Plessis, Patricia du Plessis, Tyrone du Plessis and Kërel Nel. Originally hailing from the nether regions of the East Rand, the family was fortunate enough to win a whopping R30.2 million in the National Lottery approximately three months ago.
Ma Du Plessis
Ma is a bit like a Brakpan Sharon Osbourne. She has seen her fair share of trouble and hardship, and views the Lotto win as due payment for all her years of suffering. She now has proof of the one thing she's always believed she possessed, namely class.
Her dress sense is appalling and her massive hair, tons of make-up, lavish jewellery and figure-hugging leopard-print clothing establish her as the epitome of kitsch.
She's fond of her gin and tonic, but tends to start repeating herself after a few drinks. Ma enjoys nothing more than blatantly discussing her beloved family and all their intimate details.
Kërel Nel
Kërel Nel is Ma's live-in boyfriend. He’s an Afrikaans man who mumbles constantly. He loves Ma dearly, if only because she's willing to support his love of horseracing.
He’s been in good spirits since they won the Lottery, but one could well imagine some very tough times spent in his former life. Kêrel doesn't talk much - he'd rather sing nonsensical songs about his day.
Strangely enough, this is the only time that he actually seems coherent. He has a huge appreciation for the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, and could be described as the “boer” version of Homer Simpson.
Tyrone du Plessis
Tyrone is Ma's eldest child, born out of a brief union in a LM casino’s broom closet 26 years ago. Understandably, neither his father nor that night is ever mentioned.
In the past Tyrone worked as a vehicle breakdown operator, but since the big windfall he no longer needs the job. As a fairly successful amateur boxer, Tyrone is obsessed with weight training and protein supplements.
He was once engaged to a woman named Sharon Steyn, and wanting her back motivates his strenuous fitness regime. He’s a good guy and people tend to like him, because he is honest and sincere. He does, however, have a severe side as well.
Patricia du Plessis
At 24, Patricia is the youngest in the du Plessis household. Although she's the gentlest soul in the world, she tries to appear as rough and tough as possible.
As the most responsible member of the family, she keeps their files and tax receipts and tries to save her Lotto money. She’s a very hard worker and apart from her daily job as a dental assistant, she waitresses at the clubhouse pub, “Die Watergat”.
Although on the surface Patricia seems to be in control, she has a couple of quirks, namely a fondness for strange delicacies and an apparent jealousy of Tyrone.
The latter explains their strained relationship. She recently became involved in an inter-racial relationship with local entrepreneur Patrick Leboga and will ultimately give birth to a daughter named Patience.
Friends Of The Du Plessis Family
Patrick Legoba
Patrick is the new love of Patricia's life. He is an upwardly mobile young man with entrepreneurial savvy and a vast variety of business skills.
Suave and sophisticated, he fluently juggles control over a security company, a garden landscaping business and several other interests, including property development.
He is charming and likeable and probably the most unlikely Blue Bull supporter around. A chance meeting in the Lotto queue provided the spark between him and Patricia. Their union is nevertheless fraught with the typical strife found in all relationships.
Garth
Garth is Tyrone's best friend and training buddy, a guy with aspirations of greatness. He finds immense joy in bodybuilding and believes the best diet is one kilogram of steak for protein and a draught beer for carbs, three times a day. He is tougher than granite on the outside, but as soft as a feather pillow on the inside.
Manny de Souza
Manny is Ma's ex-lover and supposedly Patricia's father. A complete womanizer and a gambling lover. Manny is manly, charismatic, slightly greasy.
He has a penchant for odd get-rich-quick schemes, but he always claims that they are all above board. His latest venture of running a ready-mix muffin factory has just nose-dived, and out of the blue he comes to visit the Du Plessis family, making it the first time Patricia meets her dad.
She sees him through Ma's eyes - perfect, beautiful and a real gentleman - but what other secrets lay in Manny's past?
The Shop Owners: Margaret and Suarav Chatterjee
Margaret and Suarav run the Pro Shop on the golf estate, with a small general dealership on the side. They have the perfect romantic relationship and are the only characters to share a healthy understanding of love.
Without being arrogant, Margaret is very proud that she knows everything about the Karma Sutra. She is the epitome of a talkative sales person and loves to engage her buyers in conversation. She often includes tips on how to improve one's luck and love life.
Suarav recently discovered the world of amateur filmmaking and has become entirely obsessed with it. He's a cricket fanatic, too, and the first thing he wants when he gets home is tea and the newspaper. Always calm and relaxed, he’s the perfect antithesis to Margaret's bubbly personality.
The Diva, The “Eager To Please” Husband and The Pool Boy: Coco Tamara, Trevor and Klaas Bos
Coco Tamara and Klaas Bos
Coco Tamara is a successful jazz, gospel and lounge singer who lives on the estate with her husband, Trevor. Her claim to fame is her Top 10 finalist position in the Afrovision song contest, the greatest of all reality-TV shows.
She is truly a larger-than-life character and very aware of the fact that she’s the only celebrity on the estate. Dominant and vicious at times, she scares almost everyone on the estate.
Trevor, on the other hand, is a rather meek man. Ever since fame ruined the beautiful and kind woman that Coco once was, he has been suffering, and he may very well be the one spreading all the lies to the tabloids.
Trevor has compromised artistic integrity for the world of advertising and is now a writer of jingles, which Coco then sings.
Klaas Bos and Don Juan have a lot of things in common. He epitomizes cool and it is clearly reflected in his attire: golden blonde hair, funky shades and skimpy Bermuda shorts. He never wears a shirt, in order to emphasize his immaculate physique.
He also happens to be the brother of popular Belgian crooner, Zef Bos, a man with whom Coco hopes to collaborate one day. In her fantasies as she stares at him cleaning the swimming pool, Klaas Bos takes on the personas of various performance stereotypes and woos her with his dancing skills.
The Toddler: Emmarentia Posthumus
Emmarentia is five years old and the only little girl living in the Kompleks. She shares small bits of information about other characters - quite often the more delicate matters that people would prefer not to have broadcast freely.
Incredibly sweet, but frequently quite serious, one of her main aims is to leave the estate in order to live life in the “real world”. However, Renier Pienaar always confronts her at the gate and stops her from venturing further.
Emmarentia is independent and knows what she wants and her parents are never around. Nothing escapes her and this keen sense of observation makes her the perfect spokesperson for the estate. Fortunately for the other characters, she’s not always the most exact source of gossip and her limited vocabulary helps to keep a few secrets safe.
The Real Estate Agents: Johan and Brumilda Brümmer
Johan and Brümilde are two very successful real estate agents. They are so caught up in the world of mobile communication that they communicate with each other only in this way.
Always armed with a bundle of cellphones and laptops, we see them go through the rigors of being a couple as well as thriving real estate agents.
They are both left-handed and suffer from a long list of neuroses, but thanks to their dedication to their occupation, they seem well adapted. However, appearances can be deceiving.
Breunanda Snyman
Brümilde's mother, Breunanda, is a powerful and driven Member of Parliament, who constantly pressurizes her daughter regarding long awaited grandchildren and performance in the workplace.
She has never trusted her son-in-law, Johan, whom she secretly believes to be a homosexual. She's nosey and strict, flamboyant and tactless. She has a block of a bodyguard named Geoffrey.
The Spoilt School Kids: Victor, JP and Cherise
Two rich and bored teenagers, Victor and JP, and their somewhat more adventurous female friend, Cherise, provide a youthful element to the estate.
They spend their days watching television, listening to music, smoking secretly and partaking in the occasional bit of anarchy. They are extreme pop culture junkies. Their parents are always absent; hence their somewhat gloomy and bored disposition. They are most at home in Victor's room, which they consider their haven.
Cherise is clouded in mystery and she looks like a stereotypical English schoolgirl, yet she is hardcore in the truest sense of the word. She always joins JP and Victor in their activities, albeit silently.
Ultimately, she’s the one who provides absurd suggestions for mischief. She has a bond of understanding with Renier Pienaar, the security guard.
The Security Guard: Renier Pienaar
Renier Pienaar is the fearless gatekeeper of Kompleks - a security guard who’s always on his post to ensure that no wrong types enter the estate.
As an ex-military hero and a real “boer” version of James Bond, Renier has a highly developed sixth sense, and perhaps even a seventh one. His work is his pride and passion and he intimidates and infuriates every guest who enters his domain.
Militant discipline has seeped deeply into his soul and correct procedure is an obsession. His past is mysterious, to say the least, and his life is coloured by incredible experiences. He is a physical mountain, the perfect specimen, bar a prosthetic right leg, the result of an unfortunate hunting accident.
The Professor And The Student Lodger: Prof. Dr. J.D. Van Wyk Venter Smit and Lebo Sibuya
Prof. Dr. J.D van Wyk Venter Smit is a relic from a previous system. He is well read but reclusive, and as a result he finds it difficult to communicate with other people. That doesn't mean he can’t enjoy a drink regularly, though.
He was an engineer prior to his career as a university lecturer and writer. However, his success as a writer has been limited, because his ideas are a little strange and impractical, to say the least. Smit is a very, very clumsy man.
His relationship with his student lodger, Lebo, is endearing. In many ways she's his only friend, but their cultural differences often make it difficult for them to understand one another's good intentions.
Lebo is clever and intuitive, and sometimes a bit cheeky. Her comments to the professor are regularly soaked in sarcasm, but he remains rather oblivious to it. Much to Coco’s dismay, Lebo has incredible singing talents.
The Golfers: Lenaar And Arnold Vorster
Dominee Leraar Du Plooy is a Dutch Reformed Church clergyman, whose love for thy neighbour knows no boundaries. He derives great joy from the outdoors and has a general love of life and the spiritual side of things.
He also indulges in sharing this love with all and sundry, to their utter irritation. He is totally unaware that Arnold Vorster, his golfing partner, has no real interest in their conversations.
Arnold is a sad and depressed man. Two months ago, his wife left him for a Belgian pool boy and shortly thereafter his beloved dog died at the hands of his only remaining friend.
His single joy in life was his weekly game of golf, but thanks to Leraar Du Plooy's constant yapping he now boasts a dismal 56 handicap. In addition, there seems to be no escape, since Leraar keeps a close eye out for whenever Arnold goes to play.
He recently started contemplating atheism and his only reason for living is to score that elusive hole-in-one.
The Young Americans: Michael and Susan
Michael and Susan are actually Michiel en Susan (Afrikaans pronunciation). They are South Africans who've recently returned from spending three months in the United States of America. They did not return by choice, but by deportation.
They really loved their time in the States and have Americanised to such an extent that it's embarrassing. We always see them rambling on about their travels and how much better everything is in America.
The Watering Hole: Gys and Shaka
Gys is the owner of the clubhouse pub, better known as “Die Watergat”. He is extremely tall and in total denial when it comes to his height. He has a short fuse, but his bite rarely matches his bark. Still, he runs an efficient establishment, frequented by all.
His buddy is Shaka, a typical bar fly who never moves from his favourite chair and never drinks anything but his favourite drink - Cream Soda. Shaka enjoys flirting with Patricia Du Plessis, much to Patrick’s dismay.