Triptiek

Triptiek (Triptych) is a South African, Afrikaans-language television drama series created, written and directed by Jan Scholtz which tells the story of how three orphans grow up and become con artists to get revenge on those who did them wrong when they were children.

The story begins in 1970. The De Hoop Orphanage has fallen on hard times and there is no money for food. The angry owner of the premises, Madame Elfrieda du Buisson (Wilna Snyman), threatens to close the place. The head of the orphanage, Captain (Bill Curry), is perplexed.

Salvation, however, comes in the form of 12-year-old Barry McGregor (JJ Coetzee). Little Barry is a thief, a swindler and something of a Robin Hood. Suddenly there is food on the tables, money for rent and all the little problems have been made right.

In the same city young Bibi Brinkman's (Tina Lange) father falls victim to a con by the villainous Willem de Hartog Sr. Her father ends up on the street and has a stroke, while her mother commits suicide. Bibi also ends up in the orphanage, where she gets to know Barry and Pietman.

The story then moves to 1992. The older Barry's (Gys de Villiers) hobby is making money. An older Bibi (Michelle Botes) has already made her first million. Pietman (Jonathan Pienaar) works for Willem de Hartog Jr. (At Botha) in his computer centre.

The three cross paths again when Elfrieda du Buisson appears on the scene. The trio set up their own partnership, Triptiek, and Barry sells a fake Van Gogh to Du Buisson. The painting is ensured by the Hartog's company... then disappears without a trace. The trio is a few bucks richer.

But Bibi believes De Hartog wasn't made to pay enough and wants his entire company. How the three try to steal his company from under him forms the core of Triptiek.