WATCH: Showmax has released the official trailer for The Girl From St Agnes

At St Agnes, a prestigious all-girls boarding school in the Midlands, the only saint is in the name. When a popular student is found dead at the base of the old mill, the school is quick to declare the death a tragic accident. But drama teacher Kate Ballard (Nina Milner) doesn’t believe it.

The more she investigates, the more Kate realises that she didn’t know the dead girl, Lexi Summerveld (Jane de Wet), or the school at all. Behind the imposing walls of St Agnes, Lexi’s killer won’t be the only person exposed…

The eight-part whodunnit premiered on Showmax on 31 January 2019. Watch now »

Here are four reasons to be excited:

1. It’s a drama in South African English, for a change

The Girl From St Agnes is a rare showcase of South Africa’s English-language acting talent. “English-speaking actors generally work internationally and they have to do American or British accents to make decent money,” says legendary casting director Moonyeenn Lee, who’s been nominated for two Emmy Awards in the past three years, for The Looming Tower and Roots. “That was why it was nice when this came up, to do English but South African English.”

For her first South African series in a decade, she’s handpicked an incredible cast led by Nina Milner, named one of Model.com’s Top Newcomers at Paris Fashion Week in 2017; 24 Hours To Live star Tyrone Keogh, in his first local role since being named SA’s sexiest actor during his time on The Wild; District 9 and Chappie actor Robert Hobbs; and Monte Carlo Best Actor finalist Graham Hopkins (The Lab).

They’re supported by internationally recognised South African talent like Tessa Jubber (Wallander), former Olympic swimmer Karl Thaning (Dredd), and Shamilla Miller (Troy: Fall Of A City); hot new talent like Jane de Wet, Paige Bonnin and 2018 Fleur Du Cap Best Student nominee Tristan de Beer; and local favourites like Strictly Come Dancing winner Zakeeya Patel (Isidingo), Makgotso M (Is’Thunzi), Celeste Khumalo (The Queen), and Jocelyn Broderick (Getroud Met Rugby: Die Sepie).

“I’m still not sure how they put together a cast like this,” says Patel. “It was a masterclass on set every day.”

2. It’s being distributed internationally

In a South African first, the dark drama is being distributed internationally by Red Arrow Studios International (Death and Nightingales, Bosch).

It’s easy to see why: “Crime stories and twisted dramas taking place in different parts of the world have become a staple,” says Milner. “What this show does really successfully is set the formula in a fresh, contemporary South African context.”

3. It’s only eight binge-able episodes

Look, we love soaps and telenovelas as much as the next South African, but sometimes it’s nice to watch something with a satisfying ending, like finding out who killed Lexi Summerveld and why. “The Girl From St Agnes has that formula that the whole world has gone mad for: shorter seasons of extremely binge-able criminal content,” says Milner.

Just be warned: you’re going to want to stay up all night and finish it in one sitting. “I read the scripts all in one sitting, so I’m so happy that all eight episodes will be released at the same time,” says Patel. “I binged; once I started reading them I couldn’t stop… I literally pulled my car over on the side of the road to finish them. It was dangerous but I needed to finish them. So I went into a parking lot and motored through them on my phone, in tiny, tiny writing.”

4. It’s like nothing you’ve seen before on South African TV

South Africans normally turn to HBO series on Showmax for edgy content, rather than local series, which tend to be a lot more conservative, with nudity and divisive topics generally avoided. But conservative isn’t a word anyone’s going to use for The Girl From St Agnes.

“The series is a first for South Africa,” says Hobbs. “When I read the scripts, I absolutely loved them. They go to the heart of the story. The fact that it’s on Showmax allows it to really go there. There’s no limitations in terms of broadcasting this, no old-school rules and regulations about what you can show live. You don’t have to imply stuff; we can experience it. That is its strength. That’s what makes it unique.”

“The style of writing on this is very different,” echoes Thaning. “What’s great about this show is it certainly pulls no punches, particularly for my character… We need a change in South Africa and I think everyone is hoping this sparks a television movement.”

Produced by the multi-award-winning Quizzical Pictures, The Girl From St Agnes came first and only to Showmax on 31 January 2019. 

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