SABC2's new musical drama
Melody premieres tonight Tuesday, 7 April at 19h30, and most of the cast are new faces to TV.
Suidooster star Abduragman Adams plays one of the leads, but it's a TV first for the other headliners.
Here's a meet-and-greet of the characters and actors:
Sometimes putting yourself first is the most unselfish thing you can do
According to the series creators (Theo Davids and Zulfah Otto-Salies), this is one of the core ideas at the centre of series, brought to life by...
Melody
Played by Kim Bowers
When we meet 18-year-old Melody at the start of the series, the sole need in her life is to look after her family.
Her dire domestic circumstances and her constant emotional sparring with her father Eric are a source of strength to her, which propels her to perform good deeds.
During the course of the series we realize that her character flaw of duty towards her family becomes a major hindrance in achieving her goal, which is to escape the abject poverty and crime of her environment in Athlone, Cape Town. Her ordinariness and wallflower personae make her another face in the crowd.
Her low opinion of herself is a direct result of her belief that she isn't good enough because of her impoverished background.
Her self-loathing stems from the many embarrassing scenarios that her alcoholic father causes in their gossiping neighbourhood.
Nothing satisfies Melody more than listening to her Ghoema music and playing it on her penny-whistle. She comes alive through her music, which she plays exceptionally well for someone informally trained.
After matric, Melody and her bestie Bevan were going to study music at UCT, but through lack of finance they gave up on their dream reinforcing her belief that nothing good happens to people like her.
Eric
Played by Abduragman Adams
Melody's 50-something-year-old
father. He's
embittered, poker faced, beer bellied, flippant and extroverted.
He wants to be a good father but he fails because his need to drown his sorrow overshadows this. His character flaw of self-pity sinks him into an abyss of despair.
His only immediate family is Melody and her nine-year-old brother Junior.
Eric is unemployed, aggressive and an alcoholic in denial. In his few sober and guilt ridden moments he promises Melody that he will quit the booze, find a job and provide a respectful home for them both.
However, he breaks each promise as consistently as night follows day. Sometimes in his sorry, drunken moments he plays mournful songs that evoke a beautiful and tragic past that reduce Melody to tears.
At other times he sends her late at night into the crime-ridden township to buy more booze. His inability to communicate his true feelings stems from his macho personae.
Jack
Played by Moeniel Jacobs
A 40-something-year-old gang leader and local shebeen king. He wants to be respected as a businessman. He needs to sell drugs. His character flaw is greed. He hides behind his larger than life personality.
He's a show-off who wants to be a legitimate businessman. However, he makes a great deal more money from his illegal business activities than his lawful business at his fruit and vegetable stall.
He himself doesn't take drugs or drink alcohol and he has an insatiable need for respect but uses violence and intimidation to achieve his ends.
Aunty Florrie
Played by Celeste Williams
Aunty Florrie is a kind hearted, friendly and peace-loving woman in her late 40s/early 50s. She's unmarried and lives on her own, with her cats and musical instruments.
She wants to pass on her knowledge of music to other people, especially the youth. Her needs are to keep the peace and her character flaw is to be placatory.
She's a strict disciplinarian when it comes to teaching music. She is the township’s source of teaching music and providing entertainment for the young and the old.
She has a dry, witty sense of humor and in her younger days she belonged to the same band as Jack and Eric.
She broke away to become a successful lounge singer on the hotel circuit but left the lounge act scene because she realized that to get to the top as a performer, she allowed herself to be used and abused.
She has a blended family background and grew up in District Six.
Bevan
Played by Riedwaan Damon
He's a confident and self-assured 20 something-year-old who wants Melody’s love and acceptance. He wants to funny - he's the neighbourhood clown who has a fear of rejection. His humour is a defense mechanism against this.
Amongst the many instruments that he plays, he loves the banjo and bass guitar most. His 44-year-old mother is his only immediate family. He has a love-hate relationship with his stepfather.
He believes that his happiness lies with someone of the opposite sex. A female who is more talented than he is. Like Melody.
He's in emotional turmoil because of the UCT situation. He constantly questions his values, morals and reason for living, asking himself constantly: “Am I my own person?
He feels he's ready for his big break as a professional musician but does he make it happen or wait for it to happen to him?
Nazli
Played by Aeesha Petersen (Taliep Petersen's daughter)
A tall, beautiful 20-year-old who is loud and doesn't suffer fools easily. She has low self esteem and wants to be better than Melody.
She's a final year performing arts student at UCT and the only two people who understand her are her police detective father Ravesh - and Melody.
She's secretly in love with Bevan, but he gives her a cold shoulder because of his “love” for Melody. Her would-be relationship with Bevan also has its own set of problems because her father discriminates against anyone who is not of the Christian religion and Bevan isn't.
She wants to do good for others but she doesn't do it because she believes it's the right thing to do - she does it because she believes it will give her popularity. She's fickle and insincere and goes wherever she can get fame.
Junior
Played by Aya Ngobo
Melody’s teenage brother who wants a happy family. His need is for Melody to be his mother. His character flaw is his dependency on Melody.
He's cheeky and always has the last word. This is his modus operandi for projecting a confident personality and deflecting people’s attention away from his “white skin/red eyes” of his albinism.
He bases his respect for Melody on a mother/son relationship. He loves Melody unconditionally. He feels emotionally distraught when Eric bawls Melody out in front of him.
Mrs Fredericks
Played by Faldiela Brown
A mother who loses her son to drugs supplied Jack. She becomes an activist in taking him down.
If you'd like to connect with the cast, give them a shout-out below!
