SCHALK BEZUIDENHOUT - Johan Niemand

Schalk Bezuidenhout has become a South African household name in the few short years since he graduated from UCT. He has since won 2 Comic's Choice Awards, he has become one of Trevor Noah's regular opening acts, and he has made a significant impact in the industry with his unique comedic timing and style. His own weekly television talk-show, Die Ware Naarheid, recently debuted on kykNET. In Kanarie, audiences get to know a different side of Schalk's range, where portrays a more serious character for the first time. His talent and acute awareness of timing becomes a vital element the success of telling this story.

HANNES OTTO - Wolfgang

Hannes Otto is the first South African to be accepted to The Juilliard School's Drama Division. In New York City he has been seen on stage as Leontes in The Winter's Tale, Vanya in Uncle Vanya and in Tom Stoppard's critically acclaimed play, Arcadia as well as Athol Fugard's, A Lesson From Aloes. Hannes received the prestigious Michael Saint-Denis Prize given annually to one student who shows most exceptional ability, initiative, and leadership. After graduating he participated in a workshop of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen as the title role. Hannes lives in Brooklyn, New York.

GERMANDT GELDENHUYS - Ludolf

Germandt is a graduate of the Waterfront Theatre School in Cape Town. Under the direction of Delia Sainsbury, Paul Griffiths and the late Keith Galloway, he graduated with a Licentiate in Drama and Musical Theatre from the Trinity Guildhall College in London. In his final year, he was awarded the Richard Loring Award for Outstanding Musical Theatre Performance and made his television debut in kykNET's STERLOPERS in 2015. Currently, Germandt can be seen as "Louis Koster" in BINNELANDERS on kykNET - a role that garnered him the Huisgenoot Tempo Award for Soap Actor Of The Year in 2017.

DAVID VIVIERS - Kevin 'Soutpiel'

David is a film and theater actor. In 2014 he graduated with distinction in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town. In May 2016, David was the recipient of the Brett Goldin Bursary award which allowed him to work and study with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a month in Stratford-upon-Avon. For South African theatre David has received two Fleur du Cap Nominations (including 'Best Supporting Actor' for The Finkelsteins are Coming to Dinner), two Kanna nominations (including Best Support Actor for Klara Maas se Hart is Gebreek) and two Fiesta nominations (including 'Best Upcoming Artist').

DE KLERK OELOFSE - Walter 'Rambo'

De Klerk Oelofse is a 29 year old actor from Cape Town, South Africa. He graduated from Stellenbosch University in 2010 with an honors degree in Drama. It was during his studies in Stellenbosch that he met director Christiaan Olwagen. In 2011 Oelofse received the Fleur Du Cap Theatre Award for the most promising student for his performance in Woza Andries?, a play directed by Olwagen. He has since performed in more than 20 professional theatre productions and even though the stage is his passion he enjoys working on local film, television and radio productions. In his spare time, De Klerk is a white collar boxer, aptly named "The Chimp."

FRANCOIS JACOBS - Tiaan 'Craven-A'

In spite of being a relative newcomer to the entertainment industry, Francois Jacobs has featured in numerous films on screen, such as Pad na jou Hart, Hollywood in my Huis, Agent Agent 2000 and Ek Joke Net II, as well as his first lead in a English film called Land of Milk and Money. Recent films that have been released include My Father's War, Chemo Club, Vir die Voëls and Wonderlus. Francois was also nominated for Best Future Artist for 2015 Fiësta Awards..

ANDRICO GOOSEN - Ruan 'Lobster'

Andrico Goosen is a young actor who made his television debut in 2012 as a student at Stellenbosch University. Since then he has worked with some of South Africa's best acclaimed actors and directors. At the age of 24, he is an entrepreneur and founder of the independent South African puppet company, The Loft Puppet Co., which has worked with international directors from Germany and the United Kingdom. Andrico is also on the board committee of UNIMA South Africa and some of his puppets have been on stage in the Netherlands.

LUDWIG BINGE - Daan

Ludwig Binge completed his MA in Drama and Theatre Studies with distinction at the University of Stellenbosch. He has been working in film, television, theatre and radio since early 2012. Feature film credits include Kanarie, Johnny is nie dood nie, Sophia Grace and Rosie's Royal Adventure. Television series include Spoorloos, Die Byl, Die Boland Moorde 1 & 2, Treknet and Vloeksteen. Ludwig was nominated for a Fleur du Cap for Most Promising Student in 2012, as well as a KykNET Fiësta Award for Best Upcoming Artist in 2014. In 2016 he won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Johnny is nie dood nie at the Silwerskerm Film Festival in Cape Town.

GERARD RUDOLPH - Ds Koch

Gérard Rudolf is an award-winning actor who has been kicking around the film, TV and theatre industries for longer than anybody would care to remember. He is also a screenwriter, director, prolific photographer and a widely published poet - which serves to prove there is a sensitive soul underneath the hard exterior. He lives in Johannesburg.

JACQUES BESSENGER - Ds Engelbrecht

Jacques Bessenger is an award winning South African actor. He worked on the international series Madiba (2017) acting opposite Laurence Fishburne. He stared as the male lead in the award winning South African film Sink (2016) which travelled to festivals in America and Europe. He also stares in the award winning Krotoa (2017) which is currently travelling to festivals across the globe. More film work include Ballade vir 'n enkeling, Blood and Glory, Wolwedans in die skemer, Verraaiers. He's a well known face on the South African television scene starring in local series' and soaps. As a theatre actor he recently played the lead in the award winning play New Found Land which was developed in conjunction with the Royal Court in London.

Director | CHRISTIAAN OLWAGEN

Born in Cape Town, South Africa. Christiaan studied Drama at the University of Stellenbosch, specialising in Theatre Directing under the mentorship of Marthinus Basson. He is the recipient of the Fleur Du Cap Award for Most Promising Student, The Rosalie van der Gucht Award for Best New Director and the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre.

Theatrical highlights include Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", Chekhov's "The Seagull", Ibsen's "A Doll's House", and Lorca's "House of Bernarda Alba".

Christiaan's film debut was in 2013 at the Silwerskerm Festival in Cape Town, with the short film "Toevlug". The short won Best Director, Screenplay and Best Short Film. His feature film debut was in 2016 with "Johnny is nie Dood nie". It won Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Art Direction, Music, Best Director and Best Film at the Silwerskerm Festival. It has been described by South African critics as a landmark in Afrikaans cinema. Currently in post production are Christiaan's second and third feature films. "Canary" - about a young gay army recruit who joins the South African Defence Force Army Choir at the height of apartheid. And then an Afrikaans adaptation of Chekhov's "The Seagull" transposed to a contemporary South African setting.