Roots play Set Up kicked off to a packed house at the Olympia Crown Hotel in St Andrew over the weekend as the all-star cast of Keith “Shebada” Ramsay, Maxwell “Bashy” Grant and Garfield “Bad Boy Trevor” Reid combined for a two-hour laugh fest.

Ramsay, the lead actor, was at the top of his game with his improvisational powers during the comedy. He frequently broke the fourth wall and directly addressed audience members, sometimes responding to their comments, and at one point left the stage to high-five an audience member.

Ramsay also showed his incredible range as an actor, having the ability to generate actual tears and anguish on cue, and then only minutes later transform into a mischievous imp delighting in the chaos and anarchy. He is a true master at his craft.

Written by Reid, the comedy depicts the real-life challenges facing two different couples from contrasting socio-economic situations. One couple, Winston Cox (Grant) and his wife, Delores Cox, (Monique Ellis) are rich, but are having marital problems because of the lack of a spark in the bedroom. Ramsay plays Shibby, their mouthy butler, who anchors and reflects the antics in his midst.

The other couple in the play is the rambunctious Rastafarian Cappa (Reid) and his common-law wife Stella, played by newcomer Trudy Ann Bunting. Mired in poverty, they seem to love each other, but the lack of money leads to constant fights and bottle-throwing spats.

Hilarity ensues when Shibby devises a plan to ‘set up’ each member of the Cox family to meet their sexual needs — for a fee. Enter Cappa and Stella.

The play is PG-13. The outrageousness generated by the characters leads to several funny bits and creates the ultimate ‘set up’ for a final scene.