What: Alan Committie’s AV-A-LAUGH-TA 
When: Until February 7, 2026
Where: Theatre on the Bay, Cape Town
Bookings: Webtickets
Director: Chris Weare
Lighting design and some of the props: Kieran McGregor

𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐕-𝐀-𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇-𝐓𝐀 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟕 

Go on – have a laugh-ter: AV-A-LAUGH-TA is Alan Committie’s 28th solo comedy show and it is brilliant. Please do not miss.

AV-A-LAUGH-TAis a theatrically heightened comedy show, with zany and intricate props, including an inflatable man.  Huge work and care has gone into crafting this show. The last scene, an enactment of a film (I won’t production spoil) is inspired. He deserves an acting award for this scene: Crossover comedy/theatre/film – riffing off the late and great Robin Williams. Committie already has a couple of Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. I wish there was a category for theatrical comedy.


The gags, jokes and Alan-Committie-isms are there, the flip chart, with an upbeat call-out for us to be brave and be open to new adventures in 2026. 

Seamless improv as he interacts with audience, cantilevered onto a superbly plotted script, with moments of nostalgia for the 70s and 80s, mashed up with the year that was and the new horizons we hope, going forward, with a sprinkling of socio-political chit-chat and banter for context but not too much to depress us. He touches on the challenges of aging (he is a forever young 52) and its parallel topic – dieting – and ultimately accepting that one loves crisps (can relate with the crisps). He quotes himself – reviving shtick snippets from his shows – the traffic in Cape Town in festive season, the Ladie’s Mile traffic circle (if you know, you know), the open top tourist busses. Laughter pushes through the dark. 

AV-A-LAUGH-TAis also a celebration of movies that he loves – such as the Avatar franchise and Titanic – the artistry, nostalgia for days when technology was way less evolved than where we are now. So yeah, there is all the delicious word play, he adores – avatar – ava – have a laugh – etc and a dazzler of a word play session in the famous flip chart. Committie was still teaching when he debuted his first solo show, 28 years ago and the teacher side of him has become core to his comedy – even as he gently admonishes late comers to the theatre.

Bravo Alan Committie, director Chris Weare, Kieran McGregor (lighting and oceanic prop), Keandri van Wyk (helped source some of the props including the inflatable man) and Anton Luitingh (backtrack for opera piece). Yup, Committie sings. He is not lip syncing.  He was in Die Fledermaus last year Opera UCT – a non-singing role. Hopefully he will do opera proper soon.  A revelation. I look forward to the 29th solo comedy show by Alan Committie.


Love. Love. Loved AV-A-LAUGH-TA.   

✳ Alan Committie in AV-A-LAUGH-TA  at Theatre on the Bay, on until February 7, 2026. Pic supplied.