AFTER close on 900 stagings of Defending The Caveman, Alan Committie decided the time had come to take things to the next level in his comical exploration of the battles of the sexes in relationships. And so, Love Factually was born.
In a chat with the affable actor/stand-up comedian, who is remarkably perceptive and has a charming way of playing with words, he reflected on the inspiration behind this “perfect date show”.
“Essentially what happened, is that after performing Defending The Caveman for so many years – it was written in 1990 and is more than 25 years old – it seemed a good time to look at relationships in a modern context,” he said.
The genesis of Love Factually is two-fold.
Committee said: “Having said that, relationships have changed, not in fundamental ways because we still have all those same kind of dynamics, but the operating systems (to use a modern phrase) and all the mediums we use to contact, meet and start relationships, have changed.
“And there’s a lot of comedic mileage you can get out of that.
“That was the impulse behind me writing the show. Well, that, and the fact that I’m a bit of a movie buff.
“It struck me that all the rom-coms we were watching were lovely and exciting, but don’t always reflect reality when dealing with a relationship.
“It’s always about happy endings. Or the best friend who gives you the perfect advice. Or arriving at the airport in time to see the woman you love not leave, change her mind and then kissing through the end credits.
“That doesn’t happen. What are we even talking about?”
While pouring his observations into this production, he builds his storytelling around the romantic comedy template to heighten the experience for the audience.
After a year of touring the comedy, nationally and internationally, he has freshened the narrative, making the skits more relevant.
“The show you saw was the first incarnation of it and it had such a great response. You can either take a new partner, or someone you have been married to for years.
“It covers everything from blind dates to couples celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
“Even if you have been together for a long time, it’s nice for other couples to recognise all the traps and pitfalls to marriage.
“You can come back and watch it a couple of times. One man came to see Caveman three times – each time with a different partner. Maybe he wasn’t learning the lesson,” Committie said.
Depending on where the production is staged, he receives interesting reactions from the audience.
“In Cape Town, for example, there is a slightly older audience. So when I talk about Tinder, they sit back and go: ‘Oh, that’s very newfangled and strange’, because a lot of them have been dating/married.
“In Joburg, the audience is younger. There are people who have been out there on the dating scene, trying different stuff. Forget Tinder, they’ve moved on to newer dating apps.
“Online dating is no longer a stigma. It’s now an actual, viable way of meeting partners. But, of course, you need to know how that works. How to read people and what they are ‘selling’. There is a lot of comedy in that.
“I also engage with the audience, talk to couples who have been married for a long time. Last year, the record was 61 years. Then you ask: ‘What’s the secret?’
“The answers are always fantastically funny. And the answers are crazy – from she’s always right or I just ignore her to don’t go to bed angry.”
During his skits, Committee also pokes fun at the default conservative setting of men always around the braai area and woman in the kitchen.
“Even the memes you see on the internet. You laugh at them because there is a kernel of truth there and you immediately think of someone.”
Love Factually is a refreshingly funny and honest show. And Committie is a riot in this one-man comedy offering.
– Love Factually will be staged at Theatre on the Bay from April 13 to May 14. Bookings at Computicket.