Season 1
Dam is a South African psychological thriller television series which revolves around Yola, who returns to the Eastern Cape farmhouse of her childhood after her father's death.
Spirits in the house start tormenting her - or is the haunting only in her head?
Filmed on location in the Bedford and Adelaide towns of the Ngqushwa Local Municipality of the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape, Lea Vivier stars as Yola Fischer.
She returns from Chile to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the farm house she has inherited.
But with her mother institutionalised, and her own meds running out, Yola has to wonder if the spirits are real or just in her head.
Pallance Dladla co-stars as Themba, her love interest - a biker on the run.
Faniswa Yisa plays Yola's mother's nurse, Lindiwe, who is also Themba's aunt.
Also starring are Neil Sandilands, Natasha Loring, Antoinette Louw, Laudo Liebenberg and Gerald Steyn.
Dam is a Showmax Original and a Picture Tree Production created, written and directed by Alex Yazbek.
The series is produced by Gary King with executive producers Yolisa Phahle, Gideon Khobane, Allan Sperling, Nkateko Mabaso, Ndzondelelo Dlulane, Thabo Shenxane and Rowan Govender.
Music is by Brendan Jury.
Main Cast
Lea Vivier as Yola Fischer
Yola returns home to the Eastern Cape farmhouse of her childhood when her father passes away in mysterious circumstances.
She's reluctant to be back home, especially when spirits in the house seem to be trying to tell her something – and the townsfolk become increasingly threatening towards her.
Yola will have to face the trauma from her childhood while fighting to make sure the past doesn't repeat itself while she's in town.
Pallance Dladla as Themba Zita
Themba is a biker who's come to town to seek out his grandfather, Lazarus Zita.
He discovers that Lazarus has gone "wandering" and hasn't been seen in weeks.
He stays to look after his aunt Lindiwe, and while he's in town, he meets Yola at the local bar.
Though he's interested in her, he doesn't tell Yola that he's running from serious danger, and that it will inevitably seek him out, even in the middle of nowhere.
Natasha Loring as Sienna Fischer
Sienna has done what is expected of her – she's stayed in town her whole adult life, tending to her nursery, while her sister Yola has been overseas.
Sienna regularly visits her mother in the mental hospital where she's been for years, and has maintained relationships with her father, Jacob, and aunt Dora.
When their father dies and leaves the farm to Yola, Sienna realises that Yola really was always their father's favourite.
But deep down, she will do whatever it takes to protect and help Yola, even if that means going against her will.
Faniswa Yisa as Lindiwe Zita
Lindiwe is a nurse who looks after Sienna and Yola's mother Yvette and other patients at Fort Vannenberg.
Her brother, Lazarus, is the local medicine man, and he's recently disappeared.
When her nephew Themba arrives out of the blue, she is happy to see him, but suspicious, too.
But she doesn't have time to think about his sudden arrival because she starts to develop an unusual skin disorder and starts having difficulty breathing.
Her symptoms quickly get worse, and Lazarus is the only person who can cure her – but he's nowhere to be found.
Antoinette Louw as Dora Fischer
Dora is Jacob's sister. After Yola and Sienna's mother was institutionalised, Dora took over as mother figure.
She runs the farm school for young girls, and is well-known in the town as a nurturer.
She's also influential because of her family name (the town was named after the Fischers) – but Yola has no idea how powerful, or dangerous, Dora really is until it's almost too late...
Laudo Liebenberg as Rudy Reese
Rudy Reese has filled in as town leader after the death of Jacob Fischer.
As the oldest son of one of the founding families, this has always been Rudy's destiny.
But his weakness – for Sienna Fischer, despite his being married with kids – threatens to destroy his reputation as a family man.
Rudy's family runs the general store in town, and this is the least of the burdens on Rudy's shoulders.
Gerald Steyn as Max Reese
Max is Rudy's younger brother, and often turns to Rudy for help – such as when his farm is about to go bankrupt due to the drought and disease that's been plaguing the land.
Max has always had a soft spot for Yola, and when she returns to town, he feels like it's his lucky day – until he realises that she only has eyes for Themba.
Max finds himself having to remind Rudy of his enormous responsibilities to the town when Rudy falls apart.
Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo as Qaqamba
Qaqamba is a student of Lazarus's, learning his traditional practises and cures for diseases.
As Lindiwe's neighbour, she is called on to help her when her mysterious illness becomes deadly.
Qaqamba's not convinced she can cure her without Lazarus's help, but she does her best.
She's the first person to recognise what it is – or who it is – that is haunting Lindiwe's body.
Tarryn Wyngaard as Clara
Clara is a patient at the mental hospital where Yola's mother is being kept.
Clara doesn't speak much, but she draws disturbing pictures that point to the trauma she suffered in her past.
Her brother, Charlton, is the local bartender, and he's paying dearly for his sister to stay at Fort Vannenberg in the hope that she'll one day be cured.
Yola senses that Clara is the key to the mystery of the darkness that's just under the surface of the deceptively peaceful town, but doesn't know if she can get Clara to communicate with her in time...
Francis Chouler as Dirk
Dirk is new in town.
He's a detective who left his previous post under a cloud, and is now invested in getting to the bottom of the death of one of the locals.
He and Sienna strike up a romantic relationship, and he's everything that Rudy isn't – kind, considerate, available.
For Yola and Themba's plan to work, they will need Dirk's help, but his newness and his naivete when it comes to the townsfolk might not work in their favour.
Siv Ngesi as Victor
Victor is a biker from Themba's gang who comes roaring into town to retrieve the money that Victor owes his associates.
Victor is not in the mood to mess around, and quickly realises that Themba has no hope of paying back the R50,000 he owes.
When the Reese brothers approach Victor for help, he has no problem assisting, especially since it means he can kill two birds (so to speak) with one stone – or bullet, in this case.
Neil Sandilands as Bernoldus
Bernoldus is the local handyman and singer-songwriter, who has a deep connection to and extensive knowledge of the history of the area, even though he wasn't born into one of the founding families.
He may not be the most efficient plumber, which is what Yola needs him for initially, but she soon realises that he has much more that he can teach her, and many more important ways he can help her.
Bernoldus offers welcome doses of humour, but he is also wise and spiritual – and may be the only person in town who sees what's really going on beneath the surface.
Season 1 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Lea Vivier ... Yola Fischer
Pallance Dladla ... Themba Zita
Natasha Loring ... Sienna Fischer
and Neil Sandilands ... Bernoldus
Recurring / Guests
Faniswa Yisa ... Lindiwe Zita
Antoinette Louw ... Dora Fischer
Gerald Steyn ... Max Reese
Thembisa Mdoda ... Qaqamba (as Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo)
Siv Ngesi ... Victor
Tarryn Wyngaard ... Clara
Andre Odendaal ... Dr Nel
Marvin-Lee Beukes ... Charlton
Jennifer Steyn ... Yvette
Matli Mohapeloa ... Constable Able
David James ... Frans
Rika Sennett ... Annie
Amor Tredoux ... Aunty Marie
Gabriella Cirillo ... Innocentia
Melissa Haiden ... Greta
Laudo Liebenberg ... Rudy Reese
Francis Chouler ... Dirk
Avuzwa Gqamane ... Allegra
Lindsay Reardon ... Priest
Andrew Buckland ... Jacob
Charl van Schalkwyk ... Danie
Scott Pringle ... Gus
Rowan van Aarde ... Gert
Anthony Patrick Bezuidenhout Lazarus
Cumani Maneli ... Ben
Blessing Gurure ... Lebo
Olwam Zote ... Althea
Siyahluma Ngono ... Big Girl
Dave Girdwood ... Fred the Vet
Amelia Sharp ... Cathy
Oliver Sharp ... Neil
Wane Cockcroft ... Young Yola
Sivenathi Gazi ... Spring Princess
David Maboya ... Shuttle Driver
Sakhiwo Bikhisha ... Biker 1
Kosi Mateza ... Biker 2