Comedians thrill patrons at Christmas Comedy Cook-up

Outside the entrance of the ballroom at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston one lady was overheard saying to another, “People want a release from their everyday burdens and to forget about the devastation and problems caused by the hurricane, so we look forward to a good laugh.”

Her words were prophetic as hundreds of patrons turned out in their numbers and laughed uncontrollably at the jokes delivered by comedians at the Boxing Day staging of the annual Christmas Comedy Cook-up event.

But for event organiser Ian “Ity” Ellis, of Ellis International, days before the event unfolded he and his team had some tense moments.

“Tickets were not selling. Is God mek we put on this show. We only started doing proper marketing in the middle of December and, yet, we were hesitant. This is the first year that we have put on this show with doubts. Even with the last three days it looked like a colossal failure; we were about to call it off,” Ellis told the Jamaica Observer.

However, as fate would have it, patrons came out in large numbers and the event, which started before its advertised 7:30 pm start time, was fun for the family.

A line-up of stand-up comedians, including Spanish Town-based Pacco, Barbados native Simon Alleyne, Fancy Cat, Owen “Blakka” Ellis, Kathy Grant, Trinidadian Allan D’Entertainer, Leighton Smith, and Dufton Shepherd ensured that patrons got their money’s worth.

Grant, Fancy Cat, Smith, and Shepherd were outstanding. The other comedians never dropped the ball and were just as entertaining.

They touched on a variety of topics, including relationships, Jamaican culture, food, and politics.

Grant, who recently graduated from the American College of Education, earning a doctorate in curriculum instruction with a focus on special education, said her set was not planned.

“I started to feed off the audience and gauge what jokes to deliver. The high point for me is always about relationships; it’s a big thing in Jamaica,” said Grant who never aspired to become a stand-up comedian.

“I wanted to do theatre because I started out as a character from the Ity and Fancy Cat show,” Grant told the Jamaica Observer post-event.

Fancy Cat, who joked that he once had a conversation with a female in a restroom but later to found out that she had contracted COVID-19, shared that this edition of Christmas Comedy Cook-up was special for him.

“Tonight, the reason that the show was special to me is the fact that you came out to do something and you had to try and dig deep and put a thing together and still come across funny to the audience. It is indeed a blessing,” he said, while sharing challenges about doing stand-up comedy.

“The challenging part come een when yuh perform at the same place regularly. But the high point for me tonight was seeing the presentation on screen of me and Ity when we were younger and just starting out in the business. It brought back memories,” he said.

Smith tackled politics before delving into relationships. He told the Observer, “The thought process coming into tonight’s presentation is we’ve been through a lot this year and I’m sending in the new year with a laugh.”

A schoolteacher, for over 15 years, Smith made an appeal, calling for more outlets for comedians and corporate support.

“Corporate needs to support events like these and even embrace comedians as brand ambassadors,” he reasoned.

Owen “Blakka” Ellis, who was recognised at the event for his 40-year contribution to the art of comedy, said he doesn’t plan his routine before taking the stage.

“What I do is come up with a theme and then I just flow with whatever comes. The audience leads me, because my first words are never planned; I just improvise. I have become accustomed to trusting the energy of the room,” he said.

Simone Alleyne described the event as awesome.

“It was a wonderful experience, and I want to thank the Jamaican audience because I felt the love on the stage. Everything was well organised from the sound queues to the lighting to the time. I am elated to be a part of this cast of highly experienced and seasoned comedians. It was indeed a learning experience,” said Alleyne.

Although he has performed at the event in another comedian’s set, Spanish Town-based comedian Pacco said this was his first time being booked for the event.

“This is my first time getting booked and words can’t explain how I feel. When you are a new comedian the pressure is there to deliver,” said the three-year stand-up comedian.

Ity Ellis shared how the idea for Christmas Comedy Cook-up came about in 2004.

“We were performing all over the Caribbean and we saw Caribbean comedians coming into the same space and we said, ‘Wow, it would be nice to have this in Jamaica.’ The first time that we tried this was in 2004 and it worked and has continued to work. The power of laughter is unquestionable. Some people are depressed and they come for the laughter,” he said.