By Janet Silvera,
Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
ALCOHOLICS, POLITICIANS, preachers and 'Chineymen' were easy prey for the pranks made by comedians Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, Tony 'Paleface' Hendricks, Claudette Pious, Bobby Smith and Ity and Fancy Cat Saturday night at Montego Bay's entertainment centre, Caribbean Showplace.
Dubbed 'Laugh It Off', the presentation saw about 600 patrons in stitches, with some women boisterously crying 'Whoa!' and children having to be taken out of the 'adult only' segment.
"I am heartened ... this is wonderful! Montego Bay lacks this type of entertainment," said an elated patron, Metty Scarlett-Jones.
Montegonians, known in the main as couch potatoes, are slowly moving away from their television sets these days and supporting events, which is encouraging to investors who have shied away from bringing such presentations to the city.
According to Mrs. Scarlett-Jones, "We don't have any consistency in entertainment. We are too set in our ways ... we are not adventurous and we don't do anything other than what we are accustomed to."
When Claudette Pious took to the stage at the scheduled 9:30 p.m., she sent a message that the night was going to be awesome.
Sporting a costume of shocking green wig, shimmering silver jacket, black and silver knickers, with her abdomen protruding, the well-built performer came dressed for business.
Appreciated
Claudette's duties as MC/comedian was appreciated by the patrons, especially when she brought on Ity and Fancy Cat, who have become known for their participation in the Courts advertisements. With versatility and good sense, both men targeted the women in the audience to impress with instructions on how to cheat on their men, without getting caught.
They mimicked Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, Winston 'Babatunde' Witter and did not spare US President Bill Clinton. The audience remained transfixed and the comedians had the patrons literally eating out of the hands.
At 10:15 p.m. when Bobby 'Madden' Smith walked on stage the audience was already at the height of enjoyment.
Smith reminisced on how he was hit in the head by an old woman with an hard dough bread in Ocho Rios because she believed his role as a corrupt cop on Royal Palm Estate was true to life.
After a 15-minute intermission Claudette returned to the stage dressed as a schoolgirl, in a red and white get up.
Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, who is still in mourning following the death of his aunt Hortense Ellis, was in his element.
He delivered his anecdotes with ease and poise. He covered such issues as the need for Jamaica to return to the good old days of romance, to present day life being unfair to men who are forced to wear condoms.
And when Tony 'Paleface' Hendricks was announced, the audience sat up in readiness for a captivating presentation.
His show was a refreshing act, with a bellyful of laughs.
"It was wicked", one patron was overheard to say at the end of the show.
