“We didn’t try too hard to be funny” – One Weeks’ Siphiwe Mtshali

Recently hailed by Promise Twala on 702 as “one of our best comedies,” One Weeks is now available to binge on Showmax.

One Weeks follows Fana, a charming high school dropout from the streets of Soweto, who can’t believe his luck when he finds himself dating Lihle, a successful lawyer. He then has to rely on the help of Lihle’s sharp-witted 10-year-old daughter, Angie, to avoid losing Lihle to rich men.

Created by Chris Q Radebe (Icala), One Weeks stars Zakhele Mabasa-Mokone and Sihle Ndaba as Fana and Lihle respectively, with breakout child star Mangaliso Aluta Mthembu as Angie. In his first comedic role, actor and presenter Siphiwe Mtshali plays Fana’s friend Smindlo. 

Watch the trailer for One Weeks

Smindlo is described as a loyal friend whose dream is to live a life of fame and luxury but whose laziness holds him back from reaching his full potential. 

“Smindlo is such a chancer, man,” says Siphiwe. “What I find hilarious about him is that he thinks he is smarter than everyone, which is really not the case. He’s basically a free-loader. Without Fana’s constant conundrums, Smindlo really doesn’t have much going on for him.”

A character who is definitely smarter than Smindlo is Angie, also known as Woolworths or Frozen. Siphiwe describes the on-screen banter between Angie and Smindlo as one of his highlights from the season.

“Mangaliso is such a breath of fresh air; she’s so talented,” says Siphiwe. “Casting Mangaliso for the Angie role was a genius move; I couldn’t see any other kid playing that role but her. I’m a father of boy children, so working with a girl child was interesting. She challenged me a lot. I really loved the banter between the two and how easily Mangaliso annoyed Smindlo with her intelligent clap backs.”

In episode 9, Smindlo finally gets a taste of fame when his diss track Nomalizo, dedicated to an ex-girlfriend, gains popularity. Though silly in its nature, Nomalizo also received a positive response from viewers, who consider the song to be a hit.

“The song was a collaborative effort between myself and the creator of the series, Chris Q Radebe. I had so much fun making this song. Chris had an idea for the track, which he initially wrote, but, when we got to the studio, my creative juices started flowing and I began contributing to the song as well.”

Siphiwe goes on to praise Chris’ overall writing for One Weeks, which he believes contributed to the show’s success.

“What you’ll realise when watching One Weeks is that we didn’t try too hard to be funny,” says Siphiwe. “We didn’t overdo the comedy with physical theatrics; the comedy is within the writing. We really worked on trusting Chris and ensuring that the delivery was executed in a subtle and smart way. It’s a beautiful story, which I believe deserves a second and third season. Fingers crossed!”

 What people have said about One Weeks on X:

Other local comedy content to binge-watch on Showmax includes The Laugh Africa Comedy Festival and The Roast of Minnie Dlamini.