Defending the Caveman has become quite the international phenomenon. Created by Rob Becker, it’s a one-man show that takes a comedic look at the age-old battle of the sexes. In its Auckland debut the show stars Jono Kenyon as a man who has been locked out of the house by his wife Erin for once again coming home late.
This is a nice gentle evening at the theatre and Jono Kenyon is a very personable and good natural storyteller.
The comedy comes from a mix of anecdotes about the misunderstandings in domestic relationships, and comparing those with how ancient peoples lived long before civilisation existed.
The script tries to keep it balanced but it feels a little defensive from a male perspective particularly when it is claimed that women always view men as assholes. It’s as if that complaint cuts to the quick for men.
Jono’s way of explaining this is that essentially men and women come from two different ways of looking at the world and don’t get how the other half thinks. The reason for all this is because we no longer live like cave people. We’ve lost touch with the basic primal natures that we had before civilisation, dating apps, social media etc made our lives a living hell.
The humour comes into it because the stories, the observations, the anecdotes are based on stereotypical views of men and women and their relationships. It’s the kind of humour that is relatable and has of course been the source of comedy in theatre and sitcoms for a very long time.
In defending the male Jono explains how cavemen were hunters who could only focus on one thing at a time, whereas their womenfolk were the gatherers and so had to concentrate on lots of different things.
This is fine for a good laugh, but I did find some of the assumptions about men and women a little old-fashioned. The descriptions of straight relationships don’t really match the ones I know, and we don’t really know how cavemen and women lived. It is possible that women hunted too.
But then again, I’m a gay man married to another gay man so maybe the men living with women notion is completely lost on me. I have however met decent men and women, and some men and women who were total assholes.
Anyway, if you want a pleasant laugh at the expense of male-female relationships this show is one that is worth catching.
DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN
31 July – 8 August 2026
Herald Theatre, Auckland
