1 November 2018
Kate Ballard played by Nina Milner
In Showmax Original The Girl From St Agnes, the staff and students of a private girls’ school in the Midlands are torn apart by a mysterious death. As the facts start to emerge, it seems like everyone has something to hide.
Drama teacher Kate Ballard comes from a very different world from that of St Agnes. Her ordinary existence going to a decent government school was shattered when, at 17, she lost her father. Both she and her mother found solace at the bottom of a bottle, and Kate was only saved by her caring drama teacher. She found her place on the stage, and it inspired her to become a drama teacher herself.
Rebellious Kate doesn’t quite fit in at St Agnes, especially with the older teachers, and she struggles to set clear boundaries with her students. While working on a play, she becomes close to Lexi Summerveld, and feels personal responsibility when Lexi’s body is discovered.
Back in high school, Kate fell in love with the handsome Shane Moolman – and now he’s the head of security at St Agnes, and her ally in unravelling the real story behind what happened to Lexi. But Kate is unprepared for the layers of secrets she’ll have to peel back to discover the truth.
About the actress
Nina Milner is better known to South Africans as a top fashion model, who’s worked for Alexander Wang, Vogue Germany and at Paris Fashion Week. As an actress, she’s had lead roles in the M-Net miniseries Ella Blue and Innocent Times, and smaller roles in Jacob’s Cross, Silent Witness and 2018’s Troy: Fall of a City, where she starred as Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons.
Nina is a born-and-bred Capetonian, and although she spent her 20s living in the USA, has her heart firmly in the Mother City.
The role
She was immediately drawn to her complex and intelligent character, Kate. “As much as some people would say that Kate was essentially trying to do the right thing,” she muses, “I don’t think that’s what preoccupies her. Yes, she’s seeking justice, but it’s also about the puzzle and dealing with her guilt over her handling of Lexi.”
She also loves a good crime drama. “I used to make myself Agatha Christie sweatsuits to be Team Agatha! I very much considered getting her signature tattooed a few times. So solving a murder was a very exciting prospect for me.”
There was also a more personal reason for accepting the role of the 24-year-old drama teacher: “In high school, I also had a 24-year-old drama teacher. She was a very reliable coordinate for me at a very confusing time. The fact that Kate was a 24-year-old drama teacher; that’s a strange coincidence and I’m willing to accept that as a breadcrumb.”
On set
The experience of working on The Girl From St Agnes was at times difficult for Nina. “It really sent my psyche for a loop working on this thing; it destabilised me,” she says.
She tapped into all her traumatic experiences to access the emotions she needed to play Kate. “I used all my own stuff to get through the job. When I needed to be traumatised or tearful or full of anger on cue, it was me torturing myself, basically, and selecting relevant constellations from situations that have hurt me in the past and superimposing them on the scene, and basically just wrecking myself every day.”
Original African stories by local talent
Unfollowed S1-2
Unfollowed examines cancel culture in social media through real-life stories of South African celebs. Stream S2 now, with new episodes weekly.
The Hot Seat S1
The Hot Seat promises bold banter as some of Kenya’s biggest celebrities face the heat. Stream now, with new episodes weekly.
Nairobi Bachelor S1
Nairobi Bachelor follows the journey of young bachelors and singletons on a quest to find their perfect match. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.
Spooksoeker S1
When Warno Alberts turns 15, he suddenly becomes aware of ghosts in his dorpie – and it’s now his job to banish them. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
4Play
4Play follows four men who, despite their chaotic personal lives, find friendship, love and perseverance in Nairobi’s concrete jungle. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
Die Tollie & Manila Show
A bold talk show where SA celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.
The Station Strangler
The Station Strangler is a true-crime documentary investigating the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats. Now available to stream.
Black & Blue S1
Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, now streaming, with new episode every Wednesday.
The Hot Seat, now streaming
Nairobi Bachelor, now on Showmax
The best movies to stream
The Grinch list: 10 movies and series for the “bah humbug!” crowd
There comes a point in all the jolly holly festive fun when even the merriest of gentlemen need to blow off some silly season steam.
11 Christmas movies with love, sugar and spice from Africa
These 11 festive films from Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria will remind you of the joys of home during the holidays.
12 days of Christmas movies
Grinches, elves, kids, lovers and fighters unite! It’s time for 12 days of jolly holly movie action to get you in the holiday spirit.
10 book-to-screen adaptations for kids
These series and movies for kids of all ages bring imagination to life as characters step off the page and onto the screen in Wonka, Tabby McTat, His Dark Materials and more.