By BRUCE DENNILL
Alan Committie: Comedy Gold / Directed by Christopher Weare / Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre, Fourways, Johannesburg
Alan Committie creates a new full-length comedy show annually, with the first run always taking place towards the end of the year in his native Cape Town. As such, the theme of the Olympics, held in Paris last year, would have felt much more applicable in that context than it does now. But as ever, the stated theme of these shows (considerably more than pure stand-up in that they involve costumes and props and detailed lighting design) is as much an idea around which to design a poster and write a punny press release as it is the basis for a full set of linked material. And in that regard, this new show pretty much does what is says on the tin, delivering comedy gold for an hour and a half.
It needs to be emphasised that staying consistent in such an endeavour is a considerable achievement. Committie does many of the same things from year to year, including employing a flipchart (there are three in this show) in which he links two topics or words through a bizarre and fluid stream of consciousness ramble; improvising as he interacts with random audience members; conjugating nonsense Latin verbs and committing wholeheartedly to some unlikely dance moves. And while some audiences, particularly those who are more stand-up comedy literate, may feel that not exploring new techniques or switching tone is a touch conservative, they should also consider that Committie’s results speak for themselves – around 30 solo shows, all with strong ticket sales, and audiences that come back to each new production again and again … and again.
The closest parallels most mainstream comedy fans could or should draw to the annual Committie meeting are the shows of the similarly energetic and engaged Michael McIntyre, who also uses clowning and chirpiness, plus family-friendly material in which more adult themes are included but never used for superficial, silly punchlines.
It must be assumed that any comic’s primary goal is to make his or her audience laugh as much as possible, and Comedy Gold is another first-rate chapter in a long series of shows in which Committie does – again – what very few comedians are able to do occasionally, which is to keep almost every person in a large room full of people laughing for more or less every minute of the hour-and-a-half running time of the piece. It’s a capability that’s likely taken for granted because it is repeated with such regularity and dependability, but that is a reason for it to be celebrated, if anything.
The theme allows for jokes about bonkers Olympic breakdancing and similar, but regardless of the subject matter, just get in the room for the show. The improv aspect means each performance will be unique, and Committie’s intellect and comic flair mean that every one will be hugely entertaining.