DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN
CAST: Tim Plewman
VENUE: Baxter Concert Hall
UNTIL: Saturday
RATING: ****
Tim Plewman, aka the timeless troglodyte, attacks his updated material with a gusto as he defends the caveman with Rob Becker’s scintillating script.
The calibre of the script beguiles spectators who, with few exceptions, can relate to the subject-matter: the disruptive consequences of gender-based behavioural differences. It all comes down to the fact that men are hunters in single-minded pursuit of their quarry, whereas women are gatherers randomly culling whatever takes their wandering fancy... that is how it was for primitive cave-dwellers, and no amount of technological invention can or will change the intrinsic nature of either sex.
Communication and the absence thereof account for much of the conflict between men and women, and some of the gems in Plewman’s performance are inspired by male reticence versus female volubility.
A highlight is a one-sided telephone conversation in which a man hears of a tragedy; the performer’s array of wordless grimaces and gestures to convey a shock he cannot articulate is hilarious. So is the screeching verbal diarrhoea he reproduces when impersonating a female in ecstacy at reunion with a friend.
Not for nothing does the term “affectionate” qualify this comedy in the programme. Once the satirical elements have been sifted out, there is a residue of warmth and good humour. However much partners may irritate each other, there remains a recognition of interdependence which is the bedrock of a successful marriage.
The introduction of topical references and current South African slang plays its part in updating the script to 2015, but the relevance of Becker’s material remains beyond question – which is probably why Defending the Caveman is the longest-running solo comedy in South African theatre history.