Gone baby, gone
Kidnapped Botho’s escape fails when Greg shackles her up.
Keeping Score Mon-Tue SABC2 (*192) 21:30
“Greg is a victim of situation – and mostly because he has made bad choices,” says Jacques Bessenger honestly. “He isn’t a psychopath. When he kidnapped Botho (Moliehi Makobane) in the middle of the night on Monday 12 February, it was because he had to, not because he wanted to.” While the actor adds that Greg isn’t the mastermind and that “he’s just part of a bigger plan”, Moliehi is blunt: “Botho doesn’t care. When she sees who has taken her, she is beyond furious. She doesn’t care what mess her ex-fiancé has got himself in – and she will hurt him physically to get free!”
CONTROL & CONTROLLED
Botho knows that everyone at the ASA gym will be searching for her, but she isn’t resting on her laurels on Tuesday 6 March. “She freaked out when she realised that she’d been kidnapped and being moved to a new ‘house’ [on Monday 12 March] is disorientating, but she is a fighter,” explains Moliehi defiantly. “Despite being locked in this room and not having a bearing on her location or knowing what day it is, her mindset is, ‘No, I will not go down without a fight. I will not be beaten!’”
But while Botho can’t overpower ex-gym trainer Greg, she can outsmart him and she uses their engagement to tug on his heartstrings. “She hasn’t seen him in months but she knows how to seduce him,” laughs Moliehi. And it almost works, reveals Jacques, whose character still has a soft spot for his ex. “But Greg realises what she is doing and stops her – violently. He is following orders and disobeying them will be another bad decision on his part!” To remind Botho that she isn’t going anywhere on Tuesday 13 March, Greg manhandles her and chains her up like an animal. “This is not a position anyone wants to be in,” warns Jacques. “And something is going to break…”
BATTERED & BRUISED
Both actors admit that they were drained after filming. “I’d go home and not even eat – straight to bed to try sleep,” exclaims Moliehi. “I’ve been acting for years but nothing has distressed me like this storyline!” For Jacques, the energy needed to be realistic was new. “You can’t fake the physicality for the camera. We’d go home bruised and exhausted but knowing that we’ve got great work done. The energy is electric.” The sets also helped them get into the “spirit” of the story, adds Jacques. “We shot in a dilapidated warehouse. It was bleak with a thick smell that put you into a ‘ this is not a good place to be’ mindset.”