House Arrest is the third annual summer production of Manna Entertainment. The two previous ones were Moon River and Dream Merchant, and from all indications, House Arrest may very well be the most hilarious of the three.

According to playwright Adrian Nelson, “the previous productions received rave reviews from both local and international critics, who referred to them as a refreshing change to local theatre. We have been very successful in creating a new style of drama which caters to a niche market of the theatre goers, who are not just looking for comic relief, but for a play with substance and inspiring moments. The only difference with House Arrest is that theatre goers can expect a whole lot more laughter.”

“Dis ya one gwey have the city under lock and key …. no, not curfew, lock and key,” laughed veteran actor Oliver Samuels. “As Adrian says, our previous productions have always had lots of laughs, but we were more focused on a strong motivational and inspirational message. The intent is the same with House Arrest, but unuh jaw bone gwey hot unuh when unuh done watch dah play yah, cause unuh gwey laugh from start to finish.”

House Arrest boasts an interesting and unusual mix of ‘uptown’, traditional and roots theatre actors – namely Felisha Lord, Nadean Rawlings, Ronald Goshop and Tesfa Edwards – which guarantees a flamboyant journey that is cleverly brought to life by veteran director, Carol Lawes.

The play tells the story of a rookie cop who gets a rude awakening when a man that he sent to jail three months ago escapes. The unsuspecting escapee takes refugee in a house, only to later realize that it is the home of the same cop that he claims wrongfully sent him to jail. He takes the entire family hostage, and now the cop has to race against time to outwit and topple the vengeful fugitive – before he begins to exact his revenge on the entire family.

House Arrest plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and on Sundays at 6 p.m.
Venue – Theatre Place, Haining Road, New Kingston

For more information about House Arrest, please call 908-0040 or 865-9844.

“I was doing some production work with the television series “Me and Mi Kru”, and mentioned to Deon Silvera that I wanted to do theatre. She suggested that I make a pitch to Paul Beale, the writer of the series who is also responsible for several hit comedies; he invited me to audition,” she explains.

Since that fateful meeting, Lord has starred in “Like Father Like Son”, “Money Worries” and “The Extortionitz”. While she feels honoured that Stages Productions has shown such faith in her abilities, she believes that her constant presence on stage has mainly been due to her discipline approach. “I am always determined to make my character stand out, and that whatever I do is memorable to the audience. That not only requires hard work, but willingness to step out of the box,” she stressed.

Her latest role is that of ‘Darling’ in Passa Passa Daily, the third production in the extremely popular Passa Passa series. Darling is the wife of community leader Nyah (Orville Hall) and Lord describes her as having a multi-layered personality. While trying not to give too much away, she has given a little insight into the character. “Darling is a fun-loving person, but she is also very unpredictable as she tries to adapt whatever situation that comes her way. She’ll be nice and sweet, but that can change to aggressive and demanding in just one moment.” It is these changes in moods, coupled with an intriguing South American accent, that Lord promises will get audiences caught up every single night.

Passa Passa Daily has a stellar cast led by Cleve Warren (Chu Chu), Audrey Reid (Bibsy), Stede Flash (Officer Roy Lickshot), Orville Hall (Nyah), Suzette Barrett (Pearl), Patrick Smith (Mayor Blackwood), Luke Ellington (Stylish) and Evelyn Forbes (Icilda). Written by Everton Dawkins and directed by Garfield Reid, Passa Passa Daily plays Wednesday to Saturday at 8:30 pm and on Sundays at 5:00 pm and 8:30 pm. For ticket info call 926-4966 and 929-5315.

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.

A genuine Jamaican Comedy guaranteed to keep the audience in stitches, “Like Father Like Son” boasts a star-studded, vibrant cast which includes the immensely popular Keith “Shebada” Ramsay, Maxwell “Maama Man” Grant, Garfield “Badboy Trevor” Reid, Deon Silvera, Abigail “Babalita” Grant, Stede “Jooky Jam” Flash, Dainty “Angel” Bellanfonte, Shemane Wisdom and Felisha Lord.

“Like Father Like Son” is hyper-juiced with laughter from start to finish, spiced with original music and filled with energetic performances. The storyline trails the similarities between Mr. Eviction and his two sons; Trevor and Jooky Jam. Trevor is an ambitious producer who compromises his professional obligations through his love triangle with his lyricist and female artists. This tangled web thrusts Trevor into a business disaster and social upheaval. Meanwhile, Jooky Jam’s “mile high” exploits may have brought his days as a commercial pilot to an abrupt end. All the while, Daddy Eviction faces retirement and needs someone to take over his wholesale grocery business. The character who Daddy Eviction brings in to help gets much more than he ever imagined.

Written and Directed by Paul O. Beale of the “Unda Mi Nose” series, “Granny Rule” and the “Maama Man” series, “Like Father Like Son” has been praised by some as Beale’s best work to date. For fans of Jamaican theatre in the tri-State area, this one is not to be missed. Check out the flyer below.