There are some forms of comedy that are currently popular in the Caribbean, including the large theatre communities in Jamaica and Trinidad. As a rule, over the decades, the trends, including in popular drama, take some time to reach Guyana. However, one of these forms, particularly popular in Jamaica, has been seen in a number of performances in Guyana. The most recent play that demonstrated it is not an important one, but significant for the way it reflects a Jamaican trend not fully comprehended or even appreciated in Guyana and seen in only a few plays here so far.
Skin Teeth Na Laugh by Michael James was revisited by Top Cat Arts Agency and directed by Godfrey Naughton last week at the National Cultural Centre with a developing but quite able cast. It reflected trends of comedy that have controlled centre stage across the Caribbean.
The major one is farce – low farce, although there are different kinds. Yet the plays are comedies in the classical sense because there are complications of plot, an element of villainy, and identity mix ups before a happy ending without any profound resolution at all, but one that puts the icing on the funny situation.
