Charlotte Thornton reviews Defending the Caveman, written by Rob Becker, directed by Ross McKellar, produced by Ben McDonald and Theater Mogul, at the Court Theatre, Tuesday 11 August 2026.
Defending the Caveman is the longest-running solo play in Broadway history. It was written by American comedian Rob Becker in the era of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and set its Broadway record in 1996. How does it hold up 30 years later?
The script has been updated, but only lightly. There are references to Tinder, Kim Kardashian, and 50 Shades of Grey, and thankfully only a single (clunky) nod to non-binary and trans identity: “How many genders are there now, like 50?”
Following a prologue packed with AI-generated imagery, a shirtless Jono (played by Jono Kenyon) gets locked out of the house by his wife Erin. He realises there’s an audience watching him and spends a few hours musing on the differences between men and women, using a millennia-hopping conversation with a caveman as a framing device.
It features an impressively quick set change following the performance of Judy’s Encore in the same space. Kenyon is backed by a large projector screen and a convincing front porch set, surrounded by sports gear and motoring-adjacent items fit for a man cave. Defending the Caveman isn’t shy about its battle of the sexes being one-sided.
That said, Becker’s script does make some solid arguments. The strongest is its explanation of the differences between male friendships and female friendships: in how men can be best friends yet know almost nothing about each other. Defending the Caveman does a good job arguing that these friendships are just as meaningful as women debriefing on the couch with their faces only inches apart.
However, the science is fairly shaky, and the theoretical defence of the caveman wouldn’t hold up in court. Kenyon handles a potentially awkward moment very well when his character argues, “Women are not hindered by logic,” which goes down poorly with the women in the room (including myself). It isn’t quite saved by the excuse that it would also be offensive if he’d said women are hindered by logic.
Defending the Caveman is neatly directed by Ross McKellar, who choreographs plenty of mime and gesture for all six-and-a-half-ish feet of Jono Kenyon. Kenyon is a great everyman. He’s best known for playing the titular bartender in Step Dave, a 2014-15 romantic dramedy; Kenyon was in his twenties then and is in his thirties now, just as gentle and even more likeable. I get the vibe that he’s not much like the chauvinist he plays in Defending the Caveman.
My favourite element of the show is Kenyon’s responses to the audience. There are a few occasions where he asks us to answer questions, as well as a small handful of heckles; Kenyon does a fantastic job of handling them all. His rapport with John in the front row is delightful. The highlight, though, is when he agrees that the pub is a better male bonding activity than fishing but reminds us that he needs to stick to the script.
Kenyon’s characterisation of Jono is lovably dorky. I’m reminded of it shortly after leaving the theatre, when I see three men – presumably on a stag do – flying down Gloucester Street on e-scooters while dressed as Austin Powers. Cheers, kings.
There’s only so much Defending the Caveman can say. While it deftly avoids trickier topics like equal pay, abortion, and gender-based violence, the central character’s struggle to do minimal housework feels like small potatoes in comparison. I would chalk it up to being a woman at a show for men, but that’s not accurate to this crowd – the Defending the Caveman audience is mostly women in their thirties and forties, who all love the show from beginning to end. It’s got plenty of charm.
In 30 years, Defending the Caveman hasn’t evolved much. This specific production is actually something new for the Court as a venue: part of a double bill from an external producer, Ben McDonald. As such, it didn’t go through The Court Theatre’s typical mainstage programming process. Still, I’m curious why it’s being staged at all in 2026. A lot has changed since then – maybe it needed a sequel rather than a re-write. Do men still need defending?
Defending the Caveman runs until Sunday 16 August.
Flat City Field Notes 