Showmax has debuted a new eight-part drama series called Adulting.
The 18SN-rated show follows the ‘bromance’ of four friends navigating relationships, business, drama and the ups and downs that come with adult living.
As the first Showmax original from Tshedza Pictures – the production house behind the award-winning series The River – co-founder Phathu Makwarela promises that Adulting will show “the bromance of the decade”.
Thembinkosi Mthembu, Luthando ‘BU’ Mthembu, Nhlanhla Kunene and Thabiso Rammusi form the stellar ensemble and bring to life their characters in a show that aims to showcase the lives of everyday South African men.
Speaking on the creation of the series at the show’s launch, Showmax commissioning editor Tebogo Matlawa explains that the purpose of the show is to tell the stories of young men in all walks of life and give audiences something they can relate to.
“It was an opportunity for us to tell a relationship drama from a male point of view. So, I think its going to get some tongues wagging. When we were developing this with the writers and the creators, which is [Gwydion Beynon] and Phathu, we took a concerted effort to be unapologetically male, and this is the kind of tough decisions we made but we think what came out came pretty well and came out entertaining. As you know Showmax is Africa’s original streamer, and we endeavour at all times to try and push the boundaries and the narratives of storytelling,” Tebogo explains.
READ MORE | Meet the star-studded cast of Netflix’s new local crime thriller Unseen
TRUELOVE spoke with the main four cast members who told us briefly about their characters and why it was important for them to tell their stories.
Thembinkosi Mthembu (plays Bonga)
We've seen Thembinkosi on The River, among other shows. He has previously mainly played rebellious characters.
Bonga comes off as a successful and sometimes arrogant 30-year-old businessman who struggles with commitment.
Translated from Zulu, Thembinkosi says, "It was important for me to play Bonga, because for me career-wise it was a different character to what I'm normally cast, like I always play like a gangster or a poor person. So, now I got to experience a person with money and I'm happy that there will be guys that will see him and relate. I just hope the guys won't look at the fun parts only, they'll see the struggles with how they live. I just hope people will relate and enjoy the show. They mustn't judge me, and they mustn't judge [Bonga]."
Luthando ‘BU’ Mthembu (plays Vuyani)
Many will remember Luthando (aka BU) from Big Brother 2022. He broke into acting shortly after the reality show and has appeared on Mzansi Magic's Ayeye. Now, as Vuyani, he plays the womaniser of his friend group who finds himself as the boy-toy of an older woman.
READ MORE | BU on success after Big Brother Mzansi and his Ayeye gig - 'Life has been very good'
“There’s a whole lot of digging up past perspectives of the sexual experiences in terms of Vuyani and myself … I’m really looking forward to seeing the feedback from young people, I don’t want to say men. Young people, in general, because they need to talk about certain things, addressing certain things and be vulnerable as much as Vuyani becomes vulnerable throughout this whole show. So, I feel like a lot of people, instead of judging they should see it, see him completely. That’s the most important thing, that I’d like people to start talking and start uncovering layers of what society means to us because we decide what it means,” explains Luthando.
Nhlanhla Kunene (plays Eric)
Nhlanhla plays Eric, the hot-headed bad boy of the group who does what he can to provide for his daughter.
“Eric is an emotionally driven character, mainly because of his childhood traumas. People look at him as a gangster but he’s not, he’s just a township guy that has made wrong decisions. It’s so important [because] I hope people are going to take and learn patience, and he’s a father that wants to be part of his daughter’s life. I just hope that storyline will make people see fathers differently because not every father is a deadbeat. There are men that want to be part of their kid’s lives but they’re not given access because of whatever happened between the baby mama and the baby daddy. So, I just hope people are going to learn, [and] people are going to hear men,” Nhlanhla says about the importance of his character.
Thabiso Rammusi (plays Mpho)
The dancer and actor plays Mpho, the married family man of the group who finds himself having a relationship with Palesa (played by Dippy Padi) outside of his marriage.
“It’s very interesting to portray Mpho, because I’d say the structure of Thabiso Rammusi and Mpho, they’re very much similar, the structure. Same that he’s a family man with two kids and I do have two boys, married, all somewhat put up altogether nicely packaged. So, that I can relate to so much but getting into what he does, the content of Mpho and the things that he’s going through and some of the things I had to learn not to judge what he’s going through, because now I realised that if I judge him then I won’t be telling the truth as an actor first and as the character as well,” Thabiso explains.
Adulting airs every Monday from 20 March 2023 on Showmax.
