Created and directed by comedian/writer Owen ‘Blakka’ Ellis, ‘Tick Tock’ is an innovative multimedia theatrical journey into a Jamaican inner city community, where the nuances of poetry, the brashness of dancehall and striking still images are used to investigate lives and situations which often only flit by in protests recorded by the television cameras. Issues of crime and violence, manhood, domestic abuse, frustrated ambition and sheer joy in living despite challenges, are among the themes that ‘Tick Tock’ explores.

Ellis first developed ‘Tick Tock’ in 2003 as a one-act drama. It had been developed in response to an invitation by Eugene Williams (Director of Studies for the School of Drama at the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts). It was then read as a full play in 2009 at the Philip Sherlock Centre for Creative Arts (UWI, Mona), directed by Carolyn Allen.

The updating is obvious in the set, as the ‘Gaza’ and ‘Gully’ slogans painted on the dilapidated walls of the community certainly were not around in 2003. LA Lewis was though, as well as the irreverent spelling that makes for ‘Kane’.

‘Tick Tock’ is set in a gritty inner city community, and the characters and situations are real, raw and totally true. There is also some strong language, adult content and partial nudity, so the play is rated M (for mature audiences only). The cast comprises twelve dynamic young stars, many of who are outstanding theatre arts graduates of the Edna Manley College – Natalie Bercher, Tesfa Edwards, Kathy Grant,Maricka Marsh, Kenesha Bowes, Joel Ellis, Earl Harris, Donnavan Watkis, Shaun Drysdale, Lakeisha Ellison, Kreshna Jones and Gracie-Ann Watson.

‘Tick Tock’ is a production that’s full of dancehall music and moves, street vibes and energy. It plays at the Theatre Place, 8 Haining Road in New Kingston on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m., and on Sundays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Love List Review

Title: The Love List
Starring: Munair Zacca, Clive Duncan and Nadia Khan
Written by: Norm Foster
Directed by: Pablo Hoilett
Reviewed by: Mary Hanna

“Sexy! Ambitious! Trust Me! Sense of humour! Well versed!” The list goes on for ten points that make the perfect woman of Bill (Clive Duncan) as he wrestles with his best friend Leon (Munair Zacca) to construct her personality to specifications. The friends are caught up in an uproarious comedy when the love list takes on flesh and blood with the arrival of Justine (Nadia Khan). All the action is within Bill’s apartment and the door becomes a gateway to reality and unreality as the perfect woman appears and disappears through it. Bill and Leon are flummoxed, watching the changes in Justine’s personality with the changes they make on the List. This comedy is hilarious and beautifully acted by all three cast members. Justine in particular embodies her role as fantasy queen and shrills or giggles or bursts into copious tears (“Insecure!”) as the men struggle to find the perfect balance on the List. The idea is to have perfection and have a real human woman too… an impossible feat, as Leon wisely concludes in the last scenes of the play.

But the friends learn a valuable lesson: Leon comes to appreciate his estranged wife and plans to woo her back again; Bill learns he must be more flexible, and sets out to learn to dance to have proper dance with Rachel, the new lady in his life. Both men have had a lair-raising lesson with the phantasmagorical Justine seducing, lecturing, whimpering, banging the pots and pans as she cooks with excessive gusto in a hilarious kitchen sequence. Nadia Khan is extraordinary in her role, beautifully cast as the mercurial Justine whose character is no firmer than the piece of paper it is jotted on. Khan is able to switch from one character trait to another with conviction and charm, zeroing in on the comic points of each change and timing perfectly her zingers and come-ons. This multi-talented actor also does television, radio and print ads locally and abroad. She plays Sam in the popular local soap opera Royal Palm Estate. She is right at home in the highly energetic part of Justine and wins the audience’s heart with her considerable charm just as she captivates Bill in her several guises.

This comedy is adapted and directed by Pablo Hoilett, veteran theatre man who has presented so many fine events to appreciative audiences. Hoilett is aided in his task by solid work of his two lead male actors. Munair Zacca is in fine fettle as the spoiled and cantankerous writer, Leon. He provides wonderful support for Clive Duncan’s Bill as changes sweep through the shabby apartment depending on what has been written on the list (“Likes my friends!”, “Loves kissing me!”). Nadia Khan whirls and giggles on the stage, drawing laughs with almost every speech while Munair Zacca and Clive Duncan give supporting action that signals the next change to come.

Munair Zacca has dedicated over 40 years of his life to Jamaican theatre and television. He won Best Actor in the 2006 Actor Boy Awards and he plays “Sonny T” in Royal Palm Estate. Clive Duncan is an actor with 25 years experience in stage, radio and television. He has performed in pantomimes and roots plays like Man and Woman Problem. He also has appeared on Royal Palm Estate and as Mr. Suave on the reality TV show, Jamaican Barber Shop. Both actors are natural on the stage, maintaining a brisk pace and working off each other’s energy. They are convincing as best friends, energetic and appropriate to the ages they play – aging men who are still seeking love, egging each other on and creating havoc with the Love List.

Pablo Hoilett has created a warm and vital space with the movements around the set that signal magic space for the entrances of Justine. She is a dynamic presence when she is with the two men. Nadia Khan is full of magic and hilarity as she whacks up carrots for dinner with a wicked knife, or as she sings (“She likes singing!”) or weeps in front of the two men. The actors work together with no strain and bring the script to life in Bill’s apartment. Leon lends gravitas, and Bill constantly opens new doors for action. I don’t want to give away more of the plot as the working out of the story depends on watching actors move from credulity to suspicion to fearful interpretation of reality. They are perfect in this arc, sharing moments of revelation with the audience. A slightly over-long moment is the discussion around ‘perfection’ and the role it plays in human relationships. This could be shortened so that the pace does not drag at this point near the denouement of the play.

This comedy is played for full belly laughs with Bill and Justine weaving magic around the more skeptical Leon. It can be enjoyed by everyone of a given maturity and it is presented in enjoyable surroundings at the new theatre, The Theatre Place. The play will run for a while. It has one short intermission and starts on time. Enjoy!

Andrea Wright leads the cast as ‘Delcita’, a name that audiences have grown to associate with witty lines, catchy phrases and lots of feisty comments. ‘Delcita’ comes up from the country in order to be with ‘Stamma’ (Everaldo Creary), her significant other, who is now living with his once estranged father, ‘John Jones’ (Garfield Reid), and his wife ‘Janet’ (Belinda Reid).

‘Delcita’ and ‘Stamma’ are a comedic pair of epic proportions, and they keep the laughs coming, as calamity gets set to strike the Jones.

Out of frustration with her husband’s lack of attention, Janet starts a sordid affair with a blast from the past, Andre Pumpit (Michael Nicholson). However, with Andre now married to Janet’s only child Cindy (Trudy Bell), they must skillfully employ lies and deception to keep their spouses out of the loop.

Secrecy is particularly difficult, with John being a police detective, and Cindy a control freak who keeps tabs on Andre’s every move. If discovered, the consequences may be deadly, and as the pressure mounts from their spouses, Andre and Janet must also maneuver their affair around Delcita and Stamma. As the story unfolds, things get more and more explosive, guaranteeing that The Plumber is worth every minute.

Written by Paul O. Beale, and directed by Beale along with Stede Flash, The Plumber plays at the Green Gables Theatre, 6 Cargill Avenue in Kingston, from Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8:30 p.m., and on Sundays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. For more information, please call 926-4966.

Passa Passa Daily is centered on the exploits of Chu Chu who, this time around, is trying to advance her career as a reporter for the local paper. This gives her even more motivation for her news carrying exploits, and with Bibsy there to provide even more dirt on the community, Chu Chu has more than enough ammunition to fill the headlines. There are however complications along the way, as Chu Chu’s gossiping invariable lands her in a world of trouble, forcing her to pull off one of the biggest schemes of her life. Deals, schemes, hustling, ‘ginnalship’, jealously and a whole heap of news carrying makes Passa Passa Daily the must see comedy for 2010.

Passa Passa Daily plays at the Green Gable Theatre, 6 Cargill Avenue, Kingston from Tuesday to Saturday at 8:30 pm and on Sundays at 5:00pm and 8:30 pm. For ticket information call 926-4966 or 929-5315.

In Easy Street, writer Patrick Brown takes us on a journey to the city dump, and forces us to come face to face with some very compelling realities. He exposes the underbelly of a society beset with many social ills, but skillfully shows that the inhabitants of the dump who literally survive off the refuse of the wider society, are real people, with real hopes and aspirations, real failures and disappointments, real dreams and nightmares.

The story is carried on a ‘comedic vehicle’ like only Patrick Brown can, milking laughter from each and every scenario, but respecting delicate sensitivities.

The Easy Street cast is led by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, who is widely regarded as one of Jamaica’s most talented actors. Campbell gets yet another chance to milk another of Brown’s multi-dimensional characters, and the opportunity to wring every comic moment from the situations encountered.

The cast also includes the increasingly popular Camille Davis, who has now established herself as one of Jamaica’s leading young thespians. Theatre fans will still remember her and speak glowingly of her outstanding performance in last year’s “Sheep In Wolf Clothing”, as well as DIANA – which had its final performance in December 2009.

Courtney Wilson is also part of the energetic cast, alongside the hilarious Christopher Hutchinson, and songbird Sharee McDonald-Russell, who again appears courtesy of the Ashe Caribbean Performing Arts Ensemble.

Easy Street’s story revolves around Queenie (Camille Davis), the socialite who fell from grace and landed on ‘Easy Street’. After an uncertain start, she finds herself living among a truly diverse set of friends. There’s Fungus (Glen Campbell), who claims to have lost his wife, house, farm and ambition in “Jamaica’s 9/11″ – Hurricane Ivan. He claims to have an educated son in foreign, and clings to the hope that his “landed papers” will come through one day.

Living next to Fungus is the jilted artiste, Scab (Courtney Wilson), who sacrificed education and inheritance to pursue his art, and who still awaits his big break as a poet/artist/singer/dub-poet/sing-jay, and whatever else comes to mind … artistic that is.

Not too far away is the house inhabited by Princess (Sharee McDonald-Russell) and Bully (Christopher Hutchinson), the delusional ex-cop, who is always wearing his decade-old “uniform”, always armed to the teeth and is never off duty … although he hasn’t really been a cop for some nine years. Princess is Bully’s long-suffering wife of 15 years, who has a perennial black-eye and claims that “is cold she catch up in it”. She has the voice of an angel, but the unmistakable appetite of a horse.

Easy Street plays Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, please call 473-4485 or 968-7529.

This is a story of a couple (Marcia and Alfred) married for approximately seven years, with two daughters. They are experiencing severe financial difficulties due to the fact that Alfred, an engineer, has been unemployed for three years. It appears that he is not concerned about his situation, and has taken on the role of house-husband with much zeal. Marcia is unimpressed by the fact that Alfred is not seeking employment, and she is bored due to their lack of involvement in social activities.

On her 29th birthday, she informs him that she is leaving him. This she does, taking their daughters with her. They move in with Marcia’s wealthy employer, Mrs. Shields, who provides for them comfortably. Mrs. Shields has been widowed for several years and expects “companionship” from Marcia.

In the meantime, Alfred has rented one of the rooms in the matrimonial home to Patience, a grief counsellor. The relationship between Alfred and Patience provides much hilarity and interest. Patience helps in improving Alfred’s outlook on life, and he eventually secures employment. Certain occurrences in the life of the country combine with the aid of Patience to bring about the reunion of Alfred and Marcia.

You have to go see the play in order to find out what Patience does next; and also about the fate of Mrs. Shields.

‘Marcia’ is played by Sakina Deer; ‘Alfred’, by Jerry Benzwick / Christopher “Johnny” Daley; ‘Mrs. Shields’, by Ruth Ho Shing; and ‘Patience’ by Terri Salmon.

This production, by a predominantly Jamaican group, is a tribute to love – love of family; love of heritage; innocent childhood-friendship turned romantic love; love of life; and, not surprisingly, love of food. True to the spirit of pantomime — a longstanding Jamaican theatre tradition, beginning on New Year’s Day each year and running for several weeks – Olde Tyme Country Wedding follows closely the tried-and-true plot of love discovered, love thwarted, and love renewed, all against the backdrop of rousing folk songs and an ample serving of ‘foolery’.

The story-line and script were developed by group members Valerie Laylor, Grace Lyons (Founder/Musical Director) and Orville Green. It is directed by Devon Haughton, whose Jamaica-oriented stage productions are attracting large audiences in the GTA and elsewhere. Grub Cooper, musical director of Jamaica’s celebrated Fab Five band, composed the opening and closing numbers.

Olde Tyme Country Wedding tells the story of Toronto resident ‘Babs Spencer’, whose compelling desire for a visit alone to Uphill, her birthplace in rural Jamaica, after a 10-year absence, is opposed by her overly protective parents. An assertive young woman, Babs makes the trip anyway and, to her dismay, finds herself embroiled in a love triangle. She returns to Toronto in a depressed state, which lasts for several weeks until the tide turns in her favour. The outcome is a true return to her roots, not only to her birthplace but also to a lost tradition – an authentic, ‘old-time’ country wedding.

The ‘old-time’ country wedding harks back to the 19th century, and unique features of the event included: a Wedding Godfather and Godmother charged with responsibilities for the wedding preparations and direction; decorating the wedding site with boughs from the coconut tree; the ceremonial arrival of the wedding cakes carried on the heads of gaily dressed women in procession; guests paying for the privilege of ‘speechifying’ during the wedding reception; and abundant quantities of local foods and drink.

Big Yard provides a bellyful of laughter, and is for many Jamaicans who flock to watch it, a perfect taste of back home. Big Yard is a comedy/drama set in Spanish Town, Jamaica, where a diverse group of individuals live in a tenement yard. The main character, Merle, operates a business from a pushcart, and is usually the source of food supplies and gossip in the ‘big yard’.

Daisy, the vivacious female in the play, has aspirations of improving her life. She hopes to migrate after getting married to her fiancé who lives in Toronto, Canada. She also has a hidden agenda for living in the ‘big yard’.

Mr. Richards, the rent collector, tries to solicit favors from Daisy in return for free rent. He is usually intoxicated, however he is very businesslike when he visits the ‘big yard’ to collect rent. A Caucasian Canadian who lives in the ‘big yard’ plays the role of ‘Mr. White’, a rastafarian who uses his religious beliefs to pacify arguments between Merle, Mr. Richards and Daisy.

Big Yard has two other characters – Spot Lamp and Twitter – who complement the story very well. Click here for dates and additional information about Big Yard.

Christopher Hutchinson’s portrayal of the character “the Candyman” in Patrick Brown’s DIANA play comes pretty close to the coveted mark. Candyman is a character that the audience loves to hate. Hutchinson plays the antagonist who causes the life of the main protagonist to go into a tailspin. He does it with so much conviction that members of the audience openly throw verbal tantrums at the actor while he’s on stage. When an actor can move an audience to such an extent then we know that the actor has delivered big time. You know that the actor has his audience eating out of his hands.

The boiling point is reached when the Candyman not only uses his ill-gotten gains to force Doggie to agree to Candyman spending a night with Doggie’s woman Diana, but also has the temerity to insist that Doggie has to watch the act. The audience goes berserk when the Candyman appears to get his way, and Doggie is reduced to a little wimp.

The young, energetic and exciting cast of DIANA is led by Camille Davis in the role of ‘Diana’. She is well supported by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell as Pops, Courtney Wilson as Doggie, Sakina Deer (alternating with Terrian Dias) as a deaf/mute go-go dancer who goes by the name Cher, and of course, Christopher Hutchinson as the Candyman.

Writer, Patrick Brown, takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions in the laugh-a-line comedy. Award winning director Trevor Nairne has once again crafted a gem of a production, and again shows why he is widely regarded as the doyen of directing in Jamaican theatre. The actors gel together like a well-oiled machine and deliver a consistently high quality, believable performance each night … loaded with laugh-out-loud (LOL) comedy.

DIANA currently plays each week at the Centerstage Theatre in New Kingston – Wed-Fri (8 p.m.) and Sat./Sun. (5 p.m. and 8 p.m.)

Directed by award winning director Trevor Naire, and described as a “romantic comedy”, the story revolves around Diana, an attractive go-go dancer who seemed to have been born to dance. But her insanely jealous boyfriend Doggie hates to see any other man come anywhere near Diana, which is impossible for her to avoid given her job, and especially given how attractive she looks and how she is at her craft.

Popular dancehall star Candyman develops a particular liking for Diana … well Diana’s body really. As luck would have it for the Candyman, Doggie finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and Candyman has evidence which could put him away in jail for a long time. But Candyman is a reasonable man … he offers Doggie a choice – spend jail time, or agree to Candyman spending one night in bed with Diana. Before Doggie could even digest that, the Candyman ups the ante … Doggie has to watch the “act”!

Diana stars Camille Davis (as Diana), Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, Courtney Wilson, Christopher Hutchinson and Sakina Deer.