The third episode of kykNet's new rugby sexcapade Getroud Met Rugby's coming up tonight (21 April at 20h00) so it seemed the perfect time to spill a chinwag I had recently with playwright, screenwriter and director Deon Opperman, one of the creators of the show.
Deon created the show with his wife actress Hanli Rolfes-Opperman (who plays Lanie) and actress Sandra Vaughn (who plays Anke) joined them in writing it.
The show launching amidst the real-life soapie happening with Joost has really re-emphasised the idea of life immitating TV and vice versa. I constantly wonder about whether movies and TV create reality or the other way round - the trouble is thinking about it too much dr!ves you Truman. (Truman Show).
Here's Deon's take on the madness:
Tashi: What’s your view on Joostgate?
Deon: Well, I always say if you have something you should say to the public, say it. Don’t try to do a tango around the corner. Speak your mind and say “Judge me if you try because then I might take the gloat out of your eye.”
If you have something to admit to the public, just admit it, rather than let it come out bit by bit, “Well, actually you were lying.”
I don’t know what the truth is because it’s very hard to gleam it from the press - I’m not really interested in speculation but it seems to me that if you have something you should just say “That’s true, there it is - so now what?” You know how much power there is in that?
Tashi: Yes it disarms people.
Deon: Totally - suddenly there aren’t any more stories. By saying it isn’t true the press keep going for weeks whereas by saying it is true, there is no story. The truth takes the wind out of everyone’s sails.
Tashi: How long did it take to write Getroud Met Rugby?
Deon: Eight months. That’s not just writing - you spend some months first on working out what’s going to happen, who’s in the story, who are they? What are their secrets? How do they know each other? Where will they end?
We played around with all that for months. Getting the plot and characters right is very important. Writing the dialogue you can do a lot quicker. Once you’re very clear on what’s going to happen in every episode.
Tashi: Who was the first character you created?
Deon: Kiki - the girl who goes to catch herself a rugby player. We got her out of our research because that’s what girls do.
Tashi: Could you have been a rugby player?
Deon: Oh no, I’m a writer. Had I been a rugby player I wouldn’t have been able to write the story. I’m not a rugby-mad man - I’m a story-mad man who decided to do a story about rugby.
Tashi: Out of all the real-life rugby players we currently have - who would you say has the best story? Who’s story intrigues you most?
Deon: It’s someone I’ve never heard anything about really, and it’s Naas Botha. It intrigues me that he was bought by America to play football. I love football, a very fun game, he was bought to kick in an American team because he’s such a legendary kicker but he couldn’t kick.
In the game, when there’s a goal kick, they bring their kicker on so he doesn't play in between and yet he didn’t do it.
I’d like to know what happened there? Have you noticed that the media have never asked what happened? What was his life like? Today he’s a TV personality and the greatest fly half we’ve ever had but what actually happened in America? Who did he like and who didn’t he like? Who betrayed him and who didn’t betray him? Who f*cked him over and who didn’t f*ck him over?
Who was he when he failed in America? Because he failed - who was he then? Did he have money? Could he afford to live? What was going on? It’s an untold story about a very, very famous man in our culture.
Who was he when he was young and all the girls were after him? He’s just “That’s Naas, he’s our Naas.” But have you ever really heard about him?
Tashi: No now that you mention it, never.
Deon: I know, he’s untouched, never had a wet dream. “He’s always just been happy.”
No, I’ve never been that happy in my life.
EndsRelated links: If you haven't checked out the interview with Mark Fish's WAG Loui, you can catch it
HERE.
For a gallery of boozy pics of the cast at the show's launch party, check out Snaparazzi...
GETROUD MET RUGBY GALLERY! 