Nuts Landing of Trinidad and Tobago was an instant hit with the crowd. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO

The Caribbean comedians did not disappoint last evening. From right: Fatman George, Nuts Landing, Gloria Williams and Susan Kennedy. Photo: VINO

Persons had their "belly full of laughter" at the 2011 Caribbean Comedy Festival. Photo: VINO

The Caribbean comedians did not disappoint last evening. From right: Fatman George, Nuts Landing, Gloria Williams and Susan Kennedy. Photo: VINO

The doctors in the house were local comedians Fatman George of Grenada; Susan Kennedy, who is based in the United States but is originally from Trinidad and Tobago; Nuts Landing of Trinidad and Tobago and Gloria Williams of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who tickled the audience to delirium with their humour.

The show opened up with Gloria Williams, who was making her first appearance on stage in Tortola, and she being a school teacher it was no surprise that most of her jokes were “school jokes” even though the ultimate message was the importance of education. She told a few about a troubled student named Cal, who she said tormented her throughout the school year. Williams said that the teachers realized that children learned things faster whenever there is some music to the teaching and so they made the students sing the multiplication tables. It was a success until Cal was called to say his tables! He told the teacher that he forgot the words of the song but remembered the tune and started to hum it.

Williams said she teaches at a Catholic school, where “religious education” is part of the curriculum, and recalled one time the priest was walking by a particular classroom and suddenly decided to see how sharp the students were with their bible stories. He asked the students who broke down the walls of Jericho but to his surprise the students all replied that it was not them! Alarmed, the priest approached the Principal of the school and told her that no one in the particular classroom knew who broke down the walls of Jericho. Alas! The Principal replied that even if any of the students did it she was not aware. At his wits end, the priest visited the Chief of Education and expressed his frustration that neither the principal nor students at his school knew who broke down the walls of Jericho. To the priest’s amazement, the Chief of Education said he (priest) should not be troubled and that all he needed to do was gave an estimate for the repair of the wall and the Ministry would take care of it!

Another debutant in Tortola, Nuts Landing, found himself instant popularity even though it might have started out with a funny but familiar walk on stage and his gangster suit. Nuts Landing started out by making a mockery of the attendees, which was surprisingly less than expected before turning to a young lady and asking her if her husband was a doctor because she looked “well”. He had the audience cracking up with his horning jokes. One fellow sitting in the audience, who had the nerve to get the attention of the comedian, was soon the subject of laughter. At one time Nuts Landing remarked that everywhere he goes he meets great entertainers and turned to the man and asked him to stand. He continued that he went to Asia and was able to meet Jet Li and Bruce Lee and now he has come to Tortola and has met “ugly”.

Susan Kennedy portrayed “your friendly neighbourhood social worker who could be found at a corner near you”, who said it was hard finding work and friends in Tortola since the “Spanish women” seem to have taken all the work while the Tortola women feel insecure having her as a friend. She also gave the ladies some important tips on what necessities to place in their purse before leaving home. At that time she singled out another fellow in the audience to help her with her purse and although timid and reluctant the man finally built enough courage to go on stage. She also asked the man to hold on to the things from the purse after she was finished showing them to the audience. The items included “wipes”, condom, “vex money”, which she chose to hold on to, flash light, hand cuffs and underwear, which she enjoyed flashing across the man’s face.

Fatman George, as expected, was hysterical. George asked if there were any Jamaicans in the house before commending them for holding a secret. He recalled when police was looking for a suspected drug kingpin and they could not have gotten anybody to give them information even when they offered money. He said in Grenada it would have been different though. In fact he said if it was him the police just needed to offer some jerk chicken! He also recalled an incident in the United States when a shooter killed more than 30 persons in a classroom and noted that the incident was so “white”. He said if it was in the Caribbean the students just had to hear one shot and every one would have gone running as they are accustomed to hearing “mark, set, and the sound of the gun, which means to run”. He said too that persons in the Caribbean didn’t even need to be told to run since if they see a crowd running they automatically start to run even if they have no idea why others are running.

He even had a special joke to share about the promoter of the show Kenny Thompson of KT Productions, although Virgin Islands News Online would prefer not to share that one!

Meanwhile, Thompson had told this news agency that the show was returning due to popular demand.

The show was themed “Eat your Crix and kicks” and even if there weren’t any Crix to eat there was much to “kicks” about and that was enough of an appetite pleaser as persons surely left with their bellies filled with laughter.