Little Shop of Horrors opened at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre this past weekend. Diane de Beer spoke to Alan Committie about his double life on stage, and reviewed the show
‘Comedians think I’m an actor and actors think I’m a comedian,” says Alan Committie about the confusion over who he is and what it is he does.
He is all of that and more. He trained as an actor at UCT a few decades back, but drifted into comedy because it was something he was good at and could generate himself. But his current role as Seymour in The Little Shop of Horrors is how he manages his career.
“Once every 12 to 18 months, I have to try to be part of an ensemble on stage,” he explains. It means he flexes different muscles and gives him a chance to perform as part of a group.
It also means that he doesn’t have to carry the show on his own. “My character, in fact, doesn’t draw the biggest laughs,” he notes.
It was also something he had to get used to because as a stand-up, he’s used to running the show. “The dentist and Audrey are really the stars. I’m just the fall guy,” he says.
But he’s thrilled with being the one who drives the story rather than steals the lime-light. It allows him to find his feet in this musical genre, to get the singing pat and become more comfortable. When he was first asked by Pieter Toerien to not only produce, but star in the show, he first wanted to test the waters: “I agreed to rehearse two songs with my buddy Anton Luitingh and when they then listened after a few weeks and agreed that I could pull it off, I would do it.”
His only previous experience was in Annie more than 20 years back and a panto in London last year. But he’s building his CV the way he wants to grow: “I have to step out of my comfort zone every once in a while or my career will go stagnant – even if the diary is full.” That’s a wise observation and one that makes his career interesting to watch. It also broadens his audience which is always a good thing and allows him more scope as he moves up and onwards.
Chatting about the singing which was and still is his biggest challenge, he’s still learning every night. “Everyone is very generous,” he says, but he is all too aware that he knows what he wants to do, but can’t always get there.
In the end, it is about “playing the truth and heart of the character”, he says. “Singing is just part of it.” He’s determined to broaden his horizons because he doesn’t want to fall into the trap of sticking to narrow a lane. “When I try something this daunting, it re-invigorates me,” he says. And you instinctively know, that somewhere down the line, we will see something even more audacious because of this current production and how he fared.
He loves stand-up and flying solo, but it presents its own crises as die-hard fans follow him from show to show. “I have been asked after a particular performance to do exactly the same show with the same kind of jokes, just different stories,” he says of the challenges that pop up constantly.
Following Shop of Horrors season, he’s babysitting the Comic Choice Awards for John Vlismas followed by Janice Honeyman’s Merry Widow, a four-week run of Sounds of Laughter because it went so well and then it’s a stint of the corporate world (“where I make some real money”). He’s also considering another British panto at the end of the year.
He’s fitting in performances in LA and New York and looking at Australia because these are good testing grounds and fly-by-your-pants performances.
“You can’t fall back on any of your tricks because they don’t know you,” he says.
It’s terrifying but he thrives on it.
Speak to him about Trevor Noah’s success and, as always, Committie doesn’t flinch.
“Of course we want to be jealous,” he says. “But we can’t. His career has just gone stratospheric and you simply have to admire and bask in the glow.”
He – and other local comics – know that Noah’s US success will be good for all of them.
“In LA, they don’t even know where South Africa is. This will change that,” he adds.
“One of the first things I’m asked now when I travel is whether I know Trevor Noah. It’s all good at the moment for all of us.”
l Little Shop of Horrors runs until August 9.