A Plumstead man has a role in Van Der Merwe, which hit the big screen nationwide late last month.
The comedy was shot in Cape Town and is about a bumbling farmer from a traditional farming family. Rob van Vuuren plays the role of Van der Merwe, who battles to hold his family together when his daughter,Marike, returns from a gap year in England with her Rooinek fiancé and his family.
Van’s father, Oupa Van, does not sit well with the idea of a British guy marrying his granddaughter and urges Van to put a stop to the relationship.
Matthew Baldwin plays the role of George Stokes, the British medical student who wants to marry Marike.
Matthew is originally from England but moved to South Africa when he was 6 and now lives in Plumstead.
“I wanted to become an actor since I was young,” he said. “I think the first time I stepped on stage was when I was about 12 years old and have been doing it since.”
He studied theatre-making at UCT and went on to perform in several productions locally and abroad. He said it had been a pleasure working on Van Der Merwe.
“Working with the cast was fantastic. Rob is incredibly funny; it was great to meet people who I had only known by name, for example Barry Hilton.”
