Entertainment

International Comedy Festival launched

( left - right ) Tony Hendricks and Winston 'Bello' Bell - file

ELLIS INTERNATIONAL HAS offered up two days of laughter with the launch of the island's first International Comedy Festival. The festival, scheduled for Saturday, July 2 at Island Village, Ocho Rios and Sunday, July 3, at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Kingston hotel, was launched at the Hilton on Wednesday morning.

It will see the return of Paleface, Tony Hendricks - who has been in England since 2001 - who will be joined by the duos Ity and Fancy Cat and Iceman and Johnny as well as Lemon. The shows will also feature other comedians from North America and the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago's Donna Haddad, who was a raunchy success at the Christmas Crack-up last Boxing Day, returns. She will be joined by three of her country men, Sprangalang, Gypsy and Relator. Gypsy and Relator who use the art form extemporaneous Calypso, or extempo calypso for short, perform as a duo as they battle each other lyrically.

Born Winston Peters, Gypsy may be familiar to Jamaican audiences through the songs Captain (the Ship is Sinking) an Little Black Boy. Relator has also been an extempo champion as well as a T&T Calypso monarch. Though extempo calypso is not very familiar to Jamaicans, the concept of a lyrical clash (probably more of the ilk of Papa San vs Lt. Stitchie than Vybz Kartel vs Ninja Man) should stand audiences in good stead. Trevor Eastmond of Barbados will add to the Eastern-Caribbean offerings. He has been engaged in comedy for over 20 years and has proven to be controversial in his homeland.

Further afield, the festival's roster is rounded off by two Canadians and an American. Jay Martin was actually born in Jamaica but was raised in Malton, North West Toronto. The second Canadian, Jean Paul, has been nominated for Canada's Tim Sim's Award, a Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Comedy and a Canadian Comedy Award.

The sole American, Willie Brown, is a ventriloquist performing as the duo Willie and Woody. Brown has appeared on BET Comic View, HBO Def Comedy Jam and Loco Comedy Jam.

The duo Bello and Blackka will be turned into a ménage-a-trois for the occasion as they will be joined in hosting duties by Elva, who hosts the Backyaad Crack-Up.

Though the organisers have promised that there will be neither "gratuitous indulgence in profanity" nor encouraging violence against others, the show has been rated 'M' for mature audiences.