Jamaican Plays

It is a common occurrence at staged comedies to see some members of the audience reacting with uncontrollable laughter and boisterous comments towards the antics of one cast member or another, but Adrian Nelson’s Dream merchant has taken it even further. This as almost at every performance, some patrons are so engrossed with the story that not only do they crack up with laughter but also openly voice disgust, disdain, swayed sympathy, and have even been observed shedding a quiet tear as they cling on to the intriguing emotional roller coaster two-hour journey that Dream Merchant takes them through.

Adrian Nelson’s Dream Merchant is a revolutionary comedy/drama with such mesmerizing acting, that the play seems to have won over theatre lovers from all walks of life, because it is not uncommon to see a buoyant mix of high and low end vehicles, taxi-cabs, and even chartered bus loads pulling into the Centrestage car park in New Kingston each night with patrons eager to view the play.

The storyline of Dream Merchant and the dramatic way in which it is told by the actors easily makes it, for most patrons, a personal past or present experience being dramatized by skilled actors. As one young lady who asked to remain anonymous and who was watching the play for the fourth time in six staging commented: “Dream Merchant is the ideal therapy for persons struggling with cheating spouses, heartbreak, fragile faith, despair and career ambitions. I laughed ‘til I cried because this play is great entertainment, but I also cried for another reason, because there were some very harsh lessons that I learnt as well”.

Dream Merchant, written by Adrian Nelson and presented by the King of Comedy, Oliver Samuels O.D. and Adrian Nelson stars legendary actress, ‘Dancehall Queen’ Audrey Reid, Dorothy Cunningham, Ronald Goshop, Kedecia Stewart and Tesfa Edwards.