Top entertainers for Absa Jewish Achiever Awards

JORDAN MOSHE

“Our entertainment this year will not only be glittering and captivating, but also vibey and fun,” says Howard Sackstein, the Chairperson of the board of the SA Jewish Report.

Taking the mic as this year’s master of ceremonies, comedy genius Alan Committie is sure to infuse the evening’s atmosphere with a healthy dose of hilarity.

One of South Africa’s leading stand-up comics, character comedian, award winning actor, comedy writer, and theatre director, Committie is possessed of innumerable talents. For the past three years, this talented performer has been Defending the Caveman at theatres around the country to huge acclaim and even bigger houses. Committie took over this legendary one-man show, and it has been running in South Africa for the past 16 years, racking up more than 680 performances.

While trying to control their guffaws and wiping tears from their eyes, attendees will also experience musical performances by virtuoso Ian von Memerty. Variously described as “the English dictionary definition of show-business” and “a confused eclectic”, Von Memerty has received 15 national theatre awards and has been nominated a further 17 times.

Von Memerty is best known as the presenter of the hit TV series Strictly Come Dancing, as a judge on SA’s Got Talent, and for his piano show, A Handful of Keys, which has played to more than 400 000 people in more than 1 400 performances. First launched in 1994, A Handful of Keys has travelled around the country and the world, racking up some extraordinary statistics: four continents, five casts, nine awards, 1 400 performances, and audiences of more than 420 000.

These personalities will enthral and enrapture audience members throughout the evening, bringing giggle-inducing gags and toe-tapping tunes together in an evening that is sure to be talked about for months to come.