We Need to Talk...
Actor and comedian Alan Committie, known for his energetic stand-up shows and skewed look on everyday life, will conduct one-on-one interviews with playwrights, directors, producers, actors, critics and all manner of theatre-makers, all in front of a live audience in Cape Town's home of independent theatre, The Alexander Bar.
Every month, a new guest will chat candidly to Mr Committie about their experiences within the threatre industry: the ups and downs, the process of producing work, making a living doing theatre and anecdotes and tales of this colourful theatrical world and its citizens. No topic is taboo, everything is allowed, entertainment is key and by the night's end, the audience will be better informed and terrifically entertained... If Mr Committie has anything to say about it.
Come to The Alexander Bar for a night of chatting, drinking, thinking and entertainment, because We Need To Talk...
This week’s special guest on We Need To Talk... will be prolific director, Janice Honeyman. Janice Honeyman’s work as a director covers most theatrical genres including drama, musicals, opera, classics and adaptations. Amongst her many musicals are Hair, La Cage aux Folles and Starlight Express. She directed Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s The Boys in the Photograph and most recently the Alan Menken musical Sister Act.
In 2005 and 2006, Janice directed Cape Town Opera’s Show Boat, which played to capacity houses in Nuremburg and Oslo, travelled to Malmö in Sweden in 2009, Paris in 2010 and toured the United Kingdom in 2014.
Also for Cape Town Opera, Janice has directed Così fan tutte, A Turk in Italy, Carmen Jones and Hansel and Gretel. Operettas and musicals with the company are La belle Hélène, Die Fledermaus, Once on This Island and Candide. Directing highlights include Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass with Sir Antony Sher and a top-flight South African cast as well as André P. Brink’s Bidsprinkaan. Janice is proud of her long association with Athol Fugard and she has directed highly acclaimed productions of hisHello and Goodbye (Royal Shakespeare Company), Exits and Entrances, Booitjie and the Oubaas (Baxter Theatre), Die Kaptein se Tier and The Blue Iris (Fugard Theatre).
Janice attended the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina with Thembi Mtshali-Jones in Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona. Her critically acclaimed production of The Tempest with Sir Antony Sher and Dr John Kani, with the Baxter Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company was performed in Cape Town and Stratfordupon- Avon, and enjoyed a sold-out UK tour. She is the winner of numerous awards, including the Five Roses Young Artists Award, the Breytenbach Epathlon, a number of Naledi, Vita and Fleur du Cap Awards, and the Johnnie Walker Achiever Award. Janice will return to the Joburg Theatre for this year’s pantomime, The Sleeping Beauty, and during the 2015 Christmas season she will be storytelling again, onstage, in Bangalory’s Back at the Baxter Theatre.
Alan Committie is a Cape Town based comedian and actor. He was recently seen as “Seymour” in the hit musical Little Shop of Horrors and doing his acclaimed new stand-up show The Sound of Laughter.
Audience Responses
Please keep doing these interviews.
I am so happy that you have this forum that enables us to respond! A brilliant idea - because REALLY loved the evening. The speakers were captivating and entertaining , and very informative. I was taken on a wonderful little trip into another world. Thank you so much for having these events. They are the kinds of things that make our city very special. I am aware that much organisation goes into getting this together, and I so appreciate it.I will continue to support such evenings as much as possible, and to spread the word. Thank you again!
A witty, insightful and engaging conversation - the audience was spellbound both by the searching questions and the articulate and thought-provoking responses. What a brilliant concept and an amazing forum for exposing some of our country's theatrical luminaries!
Excellent! Funny, informative, fascinating. looking forward to the next one!
Thought it was fantasic. Format, host,guest everything. Im a visiting actor here from london for 3 months and Alexander bar is definately my new go to place!
Brilliant idea and well executed - Look forward to the next one! Also hereis a naked emoji.. ( . ) ( . ) Y It might also be a face... who knows... You are welcome! Caaaammmaaaaaaaan!
Loved it!!!