Season 1
Forced Love is a romantic comedy based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It centres on two people falling in love despite their serious misgivings about one another.
Sisters Kat and Nonhle Minola are two Cape Town socialites who rule the social scene with an iron fist. After landing up in jail, Kat signs a contract with her dad forcing her into marriage with a complete stranger.
Nonhle is forced to take on a Xhosa tutor after failing Xhosa or her father will completely cut her off. These two socialites are about to be tamed by the transformational power of love.
The world of Forced Love is set in two distinct universes: firstly, Cape Town - a place of dramatic beauty, huge wealth, gigantic mansions and luxury cars and secondly, a rural fruit producing farmstead.
William Shakespeare's Padua has been replaced with Bantry Bay, an absurdly affluent suburb situated in Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard.
This world is about wearing your wealth on your sleeve. The right clothes, driving the right car and being seen in the right places - even if you spend your last penny doing it.
The country house in the original Taming of the Shrew is now a dilapidated fruit farm in an area outside of Cape Town. These two locales represent the two forces at pull in our story.
Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is transposed into a modern setting and gives the age-old battle of the sexes a modern, African makeover.
Kat (Kate in Taming of the Shrew) does not need a man - be it her husband or father - to tame her. It would be hard to escape the intrinsic chauvinism of that notion, but more importantly though, it is out of step with the character.
The fiery Kat would never be "tamed" by anyone. The only person that will ever tame Kat is Kat herself. And after a series of life changing events, this is exactly what happens.
Forced Love is fun, romantic and at the same time, holds up a mirror to this new emerging super-wealthy, super-urban class. The lead characters are caught up in the material trappings of this world but will be introduced to a simpler, more satisfying existence.
Produced by Penguin Films, the creative producer is Roberta Durrant and the co-directors are Itumeleng Wa Lehulera and Analet Steenkamp.
Casting
Season 1 starred Poseletso Sejosingoe as Kat Minola, Khanya Mkangisa as Nonhle Minola, Timmy Kwebulana as Mbulelo, Mbulelo Grootboom as Dumisane, Thabang Sidloyi as Luxolo, Vuyisile Pandle as Mthunzi and Amanda Quwe as Funeka.
In Season 2, Zola Nombona replaced Sejosingoe in the role of Kat.
Trivia
The working title of the show was Goba Msenge.
Season 1 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Poseletso Sejosingoe ... Kat Minola
Khanya Mkangisa ... Nonhle Minola
Timmy Kwebulana ... Mbulelo
Mbulelo Grootboom ... Dumisani
Thabang Sidloyi ... Luxolo
Vuyisile Pandle ... Mthunzi
Amanda Quwe ... Funeka
Recurring / Guests
Schelaine Bennett ... Vanessa
Andre Weideman ... Club Owner
Lemogang Tsipa ... Themba
Mkhuseli Richard Tafane ... Mansion Security Guard
Ntombekhaya Matayisi ... Abby
Lukhanyo Bele ... Hlomla
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi ... Zolile
Zondwa Njokweni ... Andile Khumalo
Dylan Edy ... Presentation Colleague
Sandile Kamle ... (Illegible character name)
Kwezi Kobue ... Campus Security Officer
Maridi Jooste ... Club Waitress #1
Janine Cornelius ... Club Waitress #2
Nomthanelaza Shude ... Uniformed Policeman #1
Xola Honono ... Uniformed Policeman #2
Lineo Lekhanya ... Prostitute
Liande Valentyn ... Magistrate
Pumeza Rashe ... Jackie
Celeste Matthews ... Ester
Ivan Abrahams ... Elton
Ndoni Khanyile ... Guest Star