Who knew cavemen were so funny!

Outside house number 17, somewhere in Northern Joburg, a man’s entire collection of ‘treasure’ has been thrown out by his wife.

He finds himself locked out of his home, with not even the shirt on his back to keep the chill at bay.

So begins Craig’s defence of the caveman in Defending the Caveman – a one-man comedy production running at Theatre on the Square until December 2.

This production of Defending the Caveman has been perfectly put together to seamlessly merge traditional theatre ritualism with modern dynamics.

The play centres around the main character Craig pleading with his wife to allow him into their home after coming home late from hanging out with his friends.

This adaptation of Tim Plewman’s original production caters to the funny bones of a varied audience. The audience plays the role of passersby witnessing a man pleading with a closed door.

Craig engagingly shares his take on the different sexes, noting their various forms of expression and their differences in language.

“I think children over the age of 14 will kind of get it. It’s universal and timeless and it’s still relevant today,” said actor Craig Jackson after the show. “But at the essence, man and woman, we have certain differences – histories, customs, love languages.”

This version of Defending the Caveman, written by Rob Bekker, is directed by actress and director Aurelie Stratton. Stratton found it very interesting that such a ‘male show’ was looking for a female director who had not experienced the original production.

“I missed the whole Tim Plewman [production], which I think was quite good because then we almost created something new, and different,” Stratton said. “We had to put our stamp on it, so there were certain things we kind of changed and made more South African.”

For Stratton, it was important to create a relatable experience which would be enjoyable to those who were familiar with the original, but also keen on watching something more authentic.

“To me, this is not just a stand-up about this guy talking about the differences of men and women – this is an actual story,” Stratton concluded. “It’s about his life, it’s about his childhood, it’s about his marriage – he’s in trouble, his wife has locked him out. So, it’s more of a show.”

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