Hendriks
Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter
BEING 'PALE in the face' may have had its rewards for Tony Hendriks. However, his inclusion in Britain's Black Entertainment Comedy Awards (BECA) will be based solely on his talent as a comedian. Hendriks is one of the scheduled performers on the awards show, to be held on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at the Hackney Empire in Britain.
The BECA, according to founder and manager of organisers Tharmm Equest Entertainment Company, Trevor Walters, arose out of the need to recognise and reward the U.K.'s black comedians, whom, he says, were largely ignored by the other awards show. "The Black comedians were doing all these shows and not being represented on the white comedy awards," he said. Now in its fifth year, BECA has, according to Walters, awarded all the top Black comedians in the U.K.
CATEGORIES
The awards have nine categories, namely 'Best Male Comedian', 'Best Female Comedian', 'Best Newcomer', 'Most Original Comedian', 'Special Achievement to the Comedy Industry', 'Lifetime Achievement to the Comedy Industry'; 'Outstanding Contribution to Comedy'; 'Best U.K. Comedy Production/Play' and 'Best U.K. Comedy Entertainment Programme'.
However, although the awards are dedicated to the Black U.K. comedians, two of the awards' categories, Special Achievement to the Comedy Industry and Outstanding Contribution to Comedy, are open to comedians outside the U.K. These two categories replaced the 'Best International Award' in 1999. "We decided to take it away and change it to Special Achievement to the Comedy Industry," explained Walters.
A BLACK, U.K. PERSPECTIVE
It is in this category that United States comedian Chris Rock emerged the winner in 1999. Will Smith was similarly honoured in 2000 and Martin Lawrence in 2001. Despite the involvement of comedians from other countries, Walters insists that the award has to maintain a black, British perspective. "What we don't want to do is turn it into a multicultural award," he said. "If we try to incorporate white comedy then we will be in conflict with the other show that is going on."
Hendriks, who is 'pale' and a Jamaican, would seem an 'outsider' in the context of the awards, yet he is one of the drawing cards on the 'promo' of featured comedians on the show. Walters explains this apparent disparity. "It's not that white comedians can't come; they have to come and perform and they have to perform to a black audience. You know our sense of humour is different," he said. Hendriks, according to Walters, is himself different. "Tony can represent Jamaica very well. If you put Tony behind a screen you wouldn't know he is a white person," explained Walters. Additionally, he has proven that he can perform to a Black audience.
Hendriks has won critical acclaim both locally and internationally for his comedic performances. He wrote, produced and starred in the hit revue Laugh Jamaica; has won the International Theatre Institute Best Actor Award for his work in Derek Walcott's Pantomime; has appeared in The Lunatic, ABC TV's Going to Extremes and has starred in his own TV venture which aired on CVM TV, Paleface Point of View. Since moving to England in 2001, Hendriks has been a regular on BBC's Black History Nuggets, has done a multi-character one-man play Brixton Road Portraits in 2003 and has done a number of comedy club appearances.
Hendriks' inclusion in the awards is indicative of not only his success in the U.K., but also his cross-cultural appeal. His presence at the awards will help to advance the 'international perspective' which Walters says the award seeks to establish and promote. "What we've decided to do is bring Tony on-board for a Jamaican perspective," he says.
His success in the U.K. also suggests that there is a viable and sustainable market for Jamaican comedians on the international scene.
"There are plenty of Jamaicans across the world who love entertainment from home," explained Hendriks. "If you can entertain them as well as cross over into mainstream, you've gone clear. There are plenty foreigners in Jamaica to practice on. Hotels are UWI for entertainers," he said.
Nonetheless, Hendriks' performance may be just the first of a few forward steps to a cross-cultural approach to the BECA. According to Walters, the award may very soon broaden its scope, a scope that may one day recognised talent from countries like Jamaica.
"We are looking to do another section, possibly next year, where we have a special category for different countries. In terms of comedians from other countries, we are looking to find a name for another category that validates them," Walters said. In this regard, the BECA has led where other comedy awards are only just beginning to follow, no doubt because, as Hendriks observed, "Britain is the comedy capital of the world." Even BET, which through its comedy programme Comic View (with 12 seasons behind it) has launched the careers of renowned comedians such as Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer, has just recently ventured into doing comedy awards.
SLOW IN COMING
The recognition of comedians has been very slow in coming the world over. Jamaica is not alone in this. In spite of and perhaps as a result of the very small number of noted comedians in Jamaica the industry has not matured to the point of hosting a comedy awards. According to Hendriks, this is a reflection of how each society regards comedy and comedians. "Comedy is highly respected in the U.K., much more so than in Jamaica where people confuse playing the fool with being an idiot," he said.
Comedian Owen 'Blacka' Ellis concurs. However, he suggests that despite its shortcomings, Jamaica is ready for a comedy award similar to that of the U.K.. "I don't think the value of the awards should depend on the number of persons, it should depend on the quality of the persons," he said. "We certainly have the calibre of comedians in Jamaica who can hold their own on any stage with any comedian" he added.
Hendriks has held his own on the British stage and will be required to continue to do so at the awards on November 4 relying, as he says, on the "Jamaican point of view."
"Being an outsider in the U.K. makes what I have to say interesting to the Brits and Jamaica features very much in my set. But there are some things I talk to Jamaicans about that go straight over other heads. People need to recognise and relate to what you're talking about in some way in order to laugh. The key is to find a happy medium," he said.
Hendriks seems to have found that medium.
