| The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival 2023 When and where: June 5 to July 2, 2023 at the Baxter Bookings: Webtickets MC/host: Alan Committie Line-up: various – see https://funnyfestival.co.za/ International speciality act: Daredevil Chicken (USA) – cabaret/vaudeville, clowning, bananas |
It has been a busy June (despite the rain and load shedding) and I finally got to see the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival, last night, June 29. The festival finishes Sunday – July 2. It is sold out, besides for a few singles but hang around the box office and you may get lucky, with returns. It is a sizzler of a show. Alan Committie is once again the host and he is a maestro. As always, he is tuned into this mad country of ours, films, culture and lifting our spirits and making us feel better. He does a set about Cape Town being so full with tourists and emigres; even the planes cannot find parking. I will not give more info but this set is Committee genius. I am still laughing.
Every person on the line-up last night was on top form. We saw comics: Yaaseen Barnes, Dalin Oliver, Mzonke Maloney (winner of the Jive Funny Championships at Canal Walk) and mentalist Larry Soffer. The headline act was Emo Adams- accompanied by two musicians- sensational entertainer – music and comedy – a treat. Adams works the audience in every way. He had the audience in raptures.
The speciality act of the Funny Festival 2023, is Daredevil Chicken: Anne Goldmann and Jonathan Taylor who hail from Las Vegas. We know that everything that happens in Las Vegas but sometimes, it doesn’t. This husband and wife duo are fabulous – polished, energetic, sassy. Their act includes a quick-change sequence – with an oololah oomph. I will not plot spoil. They are famous for using bananas. I am about to plot spoil a bit – so stop if you do not want to know. The banana shtick involves juggling and copious exchange of bodily fluids. Afterwards, the stagehands, wear gloves to clean up the stage. Daredevil Chicken is a lot of fun and they have clearly put in tremendous work, to develop their repertoire which riffs off cabaret/vaudeville, clowning, slapstick and circus sideshow. It is clever, hugely entertaining and will make me rethink what one can do with bananas. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
Special mention to Luke Ellenbogen for lighting design. There have been complex set in some editions of the festival and for 2023, lighting was used to heighten each performer/act and demarcate space. Beautifully rendered lighting plotting. Terrific sound and speedy and seamless transitions between acts, with Alan Committee as conductor and traffic controller (I have his planes shtick on my mind). Congrats to Funny Festival producer, Eddy Cassar for the outstanding 2023 Jive Cape Town Funny Festival.
✳ Featured image: Daredevil Chicken: Anne Goldmann and Jonathan Taylor who hail from Las Vegas, performing in Cape Town at the 2023 Jive Cape Town Funny Festival. Pic: Jesse Armstrong. Supplied.
