Spud Stars Come Out To Play

Sandton saw a touch of Hollywood on Saturday as fans, media, celebrities and invited guests descended on Sandton City to meet the stars of Spud 3: Learning To Fly and celebrate the premiere of this much-anticipated local comedy.

The all-star cast, including The Crazy 8 gang - Troye Sivan (Spud), Sven Ruygrok (Rambo),  Tom Burne  (Vern), Byron Langley  (Simon Brown), Travis Hornsby  (Boggo) and  Blessing Xaba  (Fatty), as well as YouTube sensation Caspar Lee (Garlic), Alex McGregor (Christine) and Julie Summers (Spud’s mom) - arrived at Nelson Mandela Square to meet and greet guests, sign autographs and chat to hundreds of cheering fans.

"After two days of waiting in lines, rain and groups of screaming girls, I finally got to meet the whole spud cast, get their autographs and photos with them. It was a dream come true and so amazing," said an excited Kerry Hampton. Another fan, 15-year-old Jessica Laveen, got the chance to meet her favourite Spud member, Caspar Lee. "I was so excited to be able to see him in person and won't ever forget this experience!," she said.

A string of other teenaged girls, undeterred by the rain, admitted they were there to catch a glimpse of South African-Australian actor Troye Sivan, recently named by Times Magazine as one of the most influential 25 teenagers in the world. Some fans delivered gifts with their cellphone numbers written all over them, while one girl even delivered Sivan a jar filled with messages she had written!

"It was an amazing experience and I'm so happy I was able to meet so many fans," said Sivan. "Because the weather was bad, I thought people would stay indoors and was really so surprised over the huge turnout.  It is unbelievable how successful Spud has actually been. Beyond my wildest dreams. Really…so so amazing."

After being discovered by a Hollywood agent on YouTube, where he frequently posts video blogs to his more than 2.8 million subscribers, Sivan has gone on to star in a number of films and has released a chart topping debut EP. In addition, the 19-year-old donated all of the profits from one of his most successful songs to a children’s cancer hospital and has been a positive advocate for LGBT acceptance. 

Later that night, after Spud 3: Learning To Fly premiered at Sandton City's SterKinekor with three packed out theatres of excited movie-goers, eager to be the first to watch the film version of the third instalment of Durban-born novelist, actor and playwright John van de Ruit's book, the movie had a standing ovation.

The Spud series was released in 2005 and introduced John 'Spud' Milton and the shenanigans of the Crazy Eight – a group of boys at a prestigious private boarding school in KwaZulu-Natal. It follows Spud’s life, fashioned in the style of a diary. The sequel Spud: The Madness Continues was released in 2007. In June 2009 the third book Spud: Learning to Fly was launched and sold 77 000 copies in South Africa in its first two weeks after release. The movie boasts a suburb cast of local actors and was shot on home soil.

Produced by Ross Garland of Rogue Star Films, in association with Times Media Films and The National Film And Video Foundation, the plot follows 16-year-old Spud as he returns to boarding school as a senior. Spud's hoping for a smooth year, but instead he discovers that his vindictive arch enemy is back to taunt him and that a talkative Malawian called Garlic has taken residence in his dormitory, along with the regular inmates and misfits he calls friends. Spud's world has never seemed less certain.

"Spud has become a household name and the large crowd that came to the premiere and autograph signing just shows how big a fan base the Spud books and movies have generated," says Garland. "From the screaming teens on Nelson Mandela Square beforehand, to the standing ovation at the end of the film, it was an unbelievable night. We’re grateful to all the fans for being so supportive."

Spud 3: Learning To Fly officially releases in South African theatres on November 28.