Fugard fest of comedy in review

Do you know who Athol Fugard is? Me neither. Do you know why? Because we are uncultured fools who only go to clubs and bars and drink beers that were made in 24 hours, out of the bottle. Alan Committie however, is anything but uncultured. The seasoned veteran of the stage has put his knowledge of comedy to work, rounded up some friends and put together a variety comedy show that is indeed something special.

The show follows, very loosely, the comedy club scene’s way of doing things. It has an opening act, support act and the headline act. In-between these however are moments of comedy genius in the form of contemporary dance, songs and satire movie trailers played on the cinema style screen at the top of the stage. On the night that I went, the line up was Calvin Benson, Rob van Vuuren and Mark Banks. Alan taking on duties as the host for the evening. 

Mark Banks, not pictured

 Alan brings a fresh energy every time he takes to the stage. He interacts with the audience with a sharp wit that comes with years of experience. The comedy shorts in-between acts, while not unique, are very well done and get the laughs. On the night that I went, it seemed like the comedians had a hard time connecting with the crowd however. I suspect this was largely due to the sound problems that were experienced. One of the singer’s mic didn’t work at all, making his solos a bit, uncomfortable. When Rob van Vuuren came on his mic gave issues as well, but Alan came to rescue with a replacement soon enough. I have since heard that this is a known issue at the Fugard, which really is a sad fact as it is an outstanding theatre otherwise (the seats are really comfy).

In the end, what Alan has created is a platform for his comedian friends. This is really admirable and should be well supported. Go out and give yourselves a treat this festive season. The Fugard fest of comedy is happening till the 17th of December. Riaad Moosa is currently headlining and Stuart Taylor follows.