Caribbean Humour Unites Like the Caribbean Sea

On any given day, the Caribbean finds reasons to laugh. We laugh at ourselves, at our governments, at the neighbour who knows everyone’s business, and at the wordplay that slips from calypso tents to street corners with the neatness of a steups. This week that instinct gets pride of place as CARIFESTA 15 rolls out two nights of stand-up that promise to be as sharp and witty as a Kaiso picong. The banner says it all: Cat Luck Ain’ Dog Luck — a reminder that what sweet for one might be pepper for another, and there is comedy in the contrast. Producer Simon Alleyne puts it plainly: “The theme ‘Cat Luck Ain’ Dog Luck’ highlights that what may work for one person will not work for the next.”

The fun begins on Wednesday 27 August at Golden Square Freedom Park with a free, open air showcase that is family friendly. “There’s no ticket for Wednesday,” Alleyne says. “Golden Square is open air; just pass through.” Thursday night is when the lid comes off. The stage shifts to the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, the content shifts to adults only, and the stage lights up from 8 p.m. “Wednesday gives you a taste of what is to come; Thursday is the big show,” he adds, drawing a neat line between sampler and feast. Tickets for Thursday are $50 Barbados dollars at TicketLinkz outlets and online.

Across the two nights, the lineup reads like a regional roll call. From Barbados, a parade of familiar mischief-makers and fresh firebrands: Queen Archiebull Cox, Double Laughs, Janine White, Dy Browne, Simon, Jason, Biko, Don Dougla Foster, and Kraigg Carrington. From Jamaica, the legendary Blakka stands beside the electric Christopher “Johnny” Daley. Guyana sends Jumbie and Chris Gopaul. Trinidad and Tobago adds its own seasoning with Allan D Entertainer and, carrying the crown with ease, the indomitable Rachel Price, billed here as the Queen of Caribbean Comedy. It is a rich stew, spiked with accents, attitude and a lot of truth.

Alleyne is clear about the artistic intent. “We are highlighting the best of comedy from Barbados and the region,” he says. “There is a big demand for acts people have not seen in a while, especially Blakka and Rachel Price. This is the crème de la crème of Caribbean comedy.” The aim is a live conversation with the people, full of the sly cultural knowledge that gives regional humour its snap.

Wednesday carries its own flavour: a “taste” branded Bachannal in Town, a PG preview that lets families settle into the rhythm, clock the styles and perhaps earmark a Thursday sitter. It is the festival’s way of saying the jokes belong to all of us, and everyone should get a bite.

Thursday, by contrast, is for the grown folks. “Thursday’s show is adult comedy,” Alleyne notes, adding that the programme will run close to three hours. “Come out and have fun.” Expect the comics to lean into the things Caribbean people talk about when the children fall asleep: politics, family, work, money and yes, horns — the eternal reggae, soca and dancehall subplot.

There is genuine prestige in the mix. Rachel Price returns with that fearless Trini candour. “Rachel is our headline,” Alleyne says. “She says she is ready for Barbados, ready to bring the fire back.” Fans of Blakka who have not seen him in years will recognise the original swagger and time-honed craft. Around them, the acts will each take their own set, their own slice of life, and turn it into the kind of laughter that doubles as a mirror.

If you know the art form, you know what to expect. Queen Archiebull can wring a story from a single raised eyebrow. Dy Browne has that steady-hand timing that sneaks up on you and then floors you. Don Dougla Foster, a social-media spark plug, will likely come with the pace of the timeline, while Kraigg Carrington and Janine White keep it grounded, observant and very Bajan. Jumbie and Chris Gopaul bring Guyanese lilt and lean honesty; Allan D Entertainer wears his Trini mischief the way Trinis do, like a good cologne. And Christopher “Johnny” Daley will make you think as he makes you laugh, which is a very Jamaican trick. This is not caricature. It is a chorus.

For Alleyne, comedy sits naturally beside the festival’s other disciplines. “As Caribbean people we have a history of storytelling and comedic expression; you will see that on Thursday,” he says. “Comedy is no exception to the quality you expect from CARIFESTA.” In other words, the jokes will land on beat, but they come with the same craft you find in theatre, dance and literature across the week.

So here is the call. If you want the family flavour, bring a chair or find a spot on the steps at Golden Square Freedom Park on Wednesday at 7 p.m. If you want the full tilt, book your Thursday 8 p.m. at LESC, leave the little ones at home, and come ready to laugh at yourselves and your cousins in Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and down the road. “It is an honour to produce this show,” Alleyne says. “I am grateful for the opportunity with CARIFESTA.”

And if you need a final nudge, take it from the title. Cat luck is not dog luck. Your laugh will not be your auntie’s laugh. But you will both laugh. That is the Caribbean way.