Cast of M-Net's Summertide sea-setshow filled with soap alums and CGI penguins.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net (DStv 101) has announced the cast of its upcoming generations-spanning drama series Summertide with Frank Rautenbach, Monique Rockman, Tyrone Keogh (right), Andre Jacobs and Terry Norton headlining the Cape South Peninsula sea-set show.

Summertide - an ambitious 52-episode drama which will unspool from late January 2024 on M-Net on Sunday evenings at 18:00 as the Carte Blanche lead-in - is produced by Red Letter Day Pictures and is currently filming in and around Cape Town's South Peninsula, including Simon's Town, Kommetjie and Kalk Bay. 

Written and lensed by the married production duo Corné and René van Rooyen, Summertide is described as a multi-generational drama series exploring "the profound depths of grief and the transformative power of love".

Summertide tells the story of marine biologist and father of two children, Martin Field Frank Rautenbach, left), who moves to the False Bay area to get away from a big secret – the death of his wife. There he starts a marine conservation trust for False Bay but life isn't as simple as it seems.

The series explores the lives of the Field family and the interesting characters who cross their paths, each one with their own secrets and desires. 

Headlining Summertide is Frank Rautenbach as charismatic marine biologist Martin, with Monique Rockman portraying a Michelin-star chef and Martin's former lover, Rebecca. She is currently in a relationship with his brother.

Also on the call sheet are veteran stage and screen actors Andre Jacobs and Terry Norton as Martin's parents Jack and Wilma Field.

Starring as Martin's children, the 16-year-old Tristan and 10-year-old Lucy are Jan Combrink and Evangelina Hallock.

Tyrone Keogh who was seen in M-Net's soap opera The Wild will be seen in the role of Martin's brother, Gavin a hedonistic retired professional surfer. 

Other talented additions include Ntombi Makhutshi who will also appear in M-Net's upcoming crime thriller drama series Devil’s Peak, Cassiel Eatock-Winnik, Euodia Samson, Maurice Carpede and Morné Visser. Amalia Uys is Martin's deceased wife Julia.

Interestingly Summertide will also feature two penguins brought to screen with the help of CGI special effects.

ALSO READ: M-Net names its year-at-the-seaside new drama series set in Simon's Town as Summertide.

Veteran actor Danny Keogh dead at 71.

The veteran actor Danny Keogh has died. He was 71.

The cause of death is not yet known. Danny Keogh who was previously married to actress Michelle Burgers was also the father of actor Tyrone Keogh.

Danny Keogh who was born in Kampala, Uganda, appeared in multiple South African TV series over decades, including Afrikaans language drama series and soaps like Binnelanders on kykNET (DStv 144), and series like M-Net's Known Gods and Interrogation Room.

He also appeared in American drama series filmed in South Africa like Charlie Jade, Crusoe, Black Sails, Of Kings and Prophets and Dominion, as well as British series filmed in the country like Troy: Fall of a City and Call the Midwife.

He appeared in a vast list of films stretching from Golden Rendezvous in 1977 to The Red Sea Diving Resort in 2018 in which he played General Weiss, and had notable files roles in for instance the Clint Eastwood-directed Invictus of 2009 and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.

For various roles he mastered Irish, British, Standard American, Bronx, Portuguese, Russian, Scottish and South African accents.

He was a founder member of The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa and earned numerous award nominations for his theatrical career.

On stage he appeared in a vast array of productions ranging from Children of a Lesser God and the Paul Slabolepsky's Pale Natives, to Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, Peter Wiess' Marat Sade, and even Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and Twelfth Night, including several other theatre productions.

Risque new local Showmax series, The Girl from St. Agnes, releases official trailer; drama might shock some viewers, won't shy away from nudity and divisive topics avoided by other local South African shows.

The video streaming service Showmax has released its official trailer for its first locally produced drama series, The Girl from St. Agnes, with the risque series that might shock some conservative South African viewers and will likely come with a high age-restriction as the show won't shy away from nudity and divisive topics generally avoided by other locally produced TV series.

"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," says Showmax about the 8-episode series revolving around the murder mystery of a pupil at a private all-girls school.

The Girl from St. Agnes, produced by Quizzical Pictures and managing director and producer Harriet Gavshon, will become available on Showmax from 31 January and is distributed internationally by Red Arrow Studios International. 

"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," says actor Robert Hobbs.

"There are 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."

"Sometimes it's nice to watch something with a satisfying ending, like finding out who killed Lexi Summerveld (Jane De Wet) and why," says actress Nina Milner playing the role of Kate Ballard. "The Girl From St. Agnes has that formula that the whole world has gone mad for: shorter seasons of extremely binge-able criminal content."

Zakeeya Patel who also has a role says she "read the scripts all in one sitting, so I'm so happy that all eight episodes will be released at the same time. 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."

The Girl from St. Agnes was filmed in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Johannesburg with casting director Moonyeenn Lee, who handpicked the cast consisting of Nina Milner, Tyrone Keogh, Robert Hobbs, Graham Hopkins; as well as Tessa Jubber, Karl Thaning, Shamilla Miller, Jane de Wet, Paige Bonnin, Tristan de Beer; and including Zakeeya Patel, Makgotso M, Celeste Khumalo and Jocelyn Broderick.

Catharine Cooke and Cindy Lee are the co-directors.

Two TV stars, Janez Vermeiren and Tyrone Keogh, make the list (and lose the shirts) on Cosmo's Sexiest SA Men 2012 Calendar.

© Cosmopolitan SA

Two telegenic South African TV presenters made the list in Cosmopolitan's Sexiest SA Men 2012 Calendar which is being sold with the January issue.

Janez Vermeiren from Top Billing (Tuesdays, SABC3, 20:00) and Tyrone Keogh (below) from The Wild (M-Net, Mondays to Thursdays, 18:00) both got their own months on the annual flesh baring almanack.

Readers can once again vote until 30 January for Cosmo's best shirtlessness which will then be crowned the ''Sexiest South African man'' at Cosmo's annual Sexiest SA Men Calendar party.

The parade of man flesh will once again be taking place in Johannesburg again this year, on 2 February.

© Cosmopolitan SA