The Man & his monster

Actors Iain Glen and Kim Engelbrecht break down their characters in local crime thriller Reyka and the strange connection Angus Speelman and Reyka Gama share.

- ELRI BOUCHER

Reyka

Season 1 Sundays M-Net (*101) 20:00

M-Net’s newest African crime drama original series Reyka had viewers on the edge of their seats when the first episode of the series recently aired. There was action, drama and suspense, but the one thing that keeps viewers spellbound is Reyka’s (Kim Engelbrecht, Marlize DeVoe from 2017-2018 in superhero series The Flash, 2014-now) strange relationship with her captor Angus Speelman (Iain Glen, Jorah Mormont in the fantasy series Game Of Thrones, 2011-2019).

Speelman abducted Reyka when she was 11 and over a period of more than four years, he gained her trust, manipulated her, became her father figure, and sexually assaulted her until she ran away when she was 16. He was caught and sentenced time behind bars.

Now as an adult, Reyka is an accomplished criminal profiler working with the police to catch the baddies, but Speelman is still ever present in her life – even more now with his parole being considered. Iain and Kim explain the complicated relationship between Speelman and Reyka and why it’s difficult, especially for Reyka, to let go and move on with her life.

TWO STORYLINES

There are two storylines in Reyka: that of Reyka and Speelman, as well as the mission Reyka is on to catch the sugar cane serial killer. “Reyka will stop at nothing to close the case and solve the mystery. It consumes her. It is her diversion from her own life. However, she spent years being held captive by a psychopath (Speelman) who has a strange influence on her in solving her criminal investigations. The subject matter of this show is alarming, while Reyka’s past is disturbing. She speaks for the victim because she is a victim too,” says Kim.