The public theatre today is dominated by humour. Comic performance is by far the most popular and commercial theatre is the most viable. In the Caribbean, however, this is a source of worry. There is great concern that comic theatre has crowded out what has been called “serious theatre”; that “serious theatre” will always suffer at the box office; and that the popular and the comic are an inferior brand that has contributed to the deterioration of the local stage.
When comic plays began to make a definite impact in Jamaica there was resounding resistance and condemnation from some circles. Nevertheless, the popular play became an important factor in the development of Caribbean theatre and the ascension of comedy spread all over the Caribbean. In Guyana, there is a notion of quality that excludes comedy altogether and regrets the fact that only comedy will fill an auditorium.
The theatre that is overwhelmingly dominant from a popular standpoint, and commands the people’s attention is the stand-up comedy of Uncensored, the farce of Nothing to Laugh About and the satire of The Link Show. For some, this is
