Review: Fabulously Fast and Reasonably Furious with Alan Committie

“It’s a pleasure” is one of Alan Committie’s favourite tag lines and his latest solo comedy show, Fast and Reasonably Furious is a pleasure. I love, loved the show. This is Committie’s 26^th solo stand-up comedy show. Committie has finessed his offering of theatrical comedy show – a mashup of stand-up, sketch comedy, audience participation, music, quirky props and his much-loved flip chart. He zooms onto stage in a toy scooter (as in Checker’s delivery – with Committie modifications) and he is on the go for almost two hours (one hour first half, 45 minutes 2^nd half), dazzling the audience. As always Chris Weare is in the director’s seat, stitching all the components seamlessly together, with knockout design by Niall Griffin.

Cantilevered onto new material, Committie riffs off his signature shticks. For instance, he revisits his illustrious ode to the Ladies Mile traffic circle in Constantia. For those who are not familiar with the traffic circle, it is a mammoth rockery with umpteen entrances and exits which confuses the GPS. Committie’s punch line is a classic. Wait for the end. This is smart, smart comedy, magnificently calibrated and it demonstrates how clever Committie is in revisiting material – so it is the same but different.

The title Fast and Reasonably Furious is Committie’s homage to the American action film franchise. Committie loves movies. His 2022 solo comedy show, Live and Let Laugh-No time to cry was a tribute and homage to James Bond films. In addition to his homage to the Fast and Furious franchise, Committie delivers a delicious take on The Sound of Music – the musical (currently on in Cape Town and then transferring to Joburg) and to the coronation of King George- complete with marching band, bells and whistles. There are hiking and dancing interludes in this action packed show.

The stories that we tell each other, Committee muses, are what makes us tick, such as the triumph of 2024: The Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup. Laughter helps us to digest a lot of the stuff around us. Committie is a consummate story teller and is a maestro of his craft as a comic. As a Fleur du Cap Theatre award winning actor, he brings his considerable acting smarts to the stage as zips around the stage, plays with his toys and interacts with the audience. On that note, the audience participation, he is whip fast with his comebacks as he chats to the audience. He is always respectable. When a member of the audience noted his occupation as social worker, Committie mused- “Well I can’t do anything with that”. It would be odious to tale the mickey out of that profession. He did have fun with a man, sitting in the front row, who manufactures ice-cream. He went to the bathroom during the show and texted on his mobile phone. The man is lucky that Committie is so gracious. Other stand-ups may not have not minced their disdain at this behaviour. It was hilarious to watch Committie turning around the disruptive behaviour to the delight of the audience.

In Fast and Reasonably Furious Committie ruminates about turning 50. In his birthday show, January 6. 2023, proceeds from tickets sales will go to the Actors Benevolent Fund. A wonderful gesture. Bravo. Happy half a century, Alan Committie. Before that, at the Theatre on the Bay, is New Year’s Eve show, (starts 9pm) which is a fun way to bring on 2024. Go and see Fast and Reasonably Furious and be charmed and entertained by the fabulous Alan Committie.

✳Alan Committie in Fast and Reasonably Furious .Pic: Claude Barnardo. Supplied.