An organic, hyper-local mix of both Afrikaans and English, the 13-part half-hour series launching on Showmax, with a nostalgic Cape jazz soundtrack guaranteed to take you back to your own time on the Galaxy dancefloor as you try to figure out who killed Glenn Fortune, and why.
After the murder of owner Glenn Fortune (Kevin Smith), The Oasis jazz club becomes the centre of a power struggle between two brothers, a scorned widow, and an organized crime syndicate.
About Skemerdans
Set at The Oasis, a jazz club that is being filmed at the iconic Club Galaxy in Rylands. Filming is taking place along Voortrekker Road and at Club Galaxy in Rylands, arguably Cape Town’s most famous club ever since it opened in 1978, which is doubling as both The Oasis and the Adams brothers’ strip club The Velvet Room. SAFTA-winning DOP Chris Lotz (Jan, The Endless River, Rage, Shoreline) is shooting mostly between dusk and dawn, leaning into the shadows, silhouettes and neon lighting that make the locations so perfect for a noir series. Organic, hyper-local mix of Afrikaans and English, with a nostalgic Cape jazz soundtrack.
The Cast
SAFTA winners Kevin Smith (Isidingo, Arendsvlei), Ilse Klink (Stroomop, Isidingo) and Brendon Daniels (Four Corners, Sara se Geheim, Arendsvlei) lead the all-star cast as Glenn, his wife Shireen and his brother Trevor respectively. Ceagan Arendse (Suidooster, Arendsvlei) is the black sheep of the family, Warren; Trudy van Rooy (Die Byl, Sara Se Geheim) is Glenn’s prodigal daughter, Jessie; and SAFTA nominee Vinette Ebrahim (7de Laan, Binnelanders) is the formidable Fortune family matriarch.
2019 Comics Choice nominee and Good Hope FM Happy Hour host – Carl Weber also stars as one of the Adams brothers, mob bosses who are busy buying up the strip around The Oasis. Bongo Mbutuma (Die Spreeus, Erfsondes) plays his partner in crime and brother from another mother.
The murder mystery’s ensemble cast also includes Fleur du Cap winner Mbulelo Grootboom (Sara Se Geheim, Projek Dina), Fleur du Cap nominee Ann Juries (Arendsvlei, Ander Mens), Danny Ross (Nommer 37, Arendsvlei, Suidooster), Kim Syster (Binnelanders, Suidooster), Carmen Maarman (Arendsvlei, Lui Maar Op, Belinda), Sanda Shandu (The Kissing Booth 1 and 2) and legendary Cape Town muso Alistair Izobell.
2019 Standard Bank Young Artist Amy Jephta (writer: Trackers, Die Ellen Pakkies Storie, and director of the upcoming feature Barakat) is executive producer and showrunner on this new 13-part series, co-directing alongside Ephraim Gordon (Sara Se Geheim, Suidooster).
Nagvlug Films (Rage) is producing.
