From left: Miss Kitty, Shelly-Ann Weeks and Celia Steele surprise Owen 'Blakka' Ellis with a birthday cake onstage during his performance at his comedy show at Backyaad, Constant Spring Road, last week Wednesday. - Photos by Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

Owen 'Blakka' Ellis, farewell to stand-up comedy in Kingston last Wednesday (he was advertised for the Blue Beat, Montego Bay, the following night) was a further development on his performances that The Sunday Gleaner has seen over the last six or so years.

The humour (and there was plenty of that) was almost incidental to observations about life in general and gender issues in particular, with a history lesson in Jamaican stand-up comedy and a brief assessment of its future.

And he went back to his comedic roots growing up with Aunty Becca, "who manufacture bad wud". He started out telling jokes by just relating tales of her at school and, in a final appearance in Kingston, was outwardly remarkably unsentimental.

Reunion performance

A section of the audience gets a belly-busting joke.

The esteem in which Ellis is held by the public and stand-up comedians was evidenced by the former 'corking' Backyaad, Constant Spring Road, St Andrew, and the latter lauding him (including delivering several of his jokes in the final get-together past midnight) over and over again.

That did not preclude a jolly retirement jab being thrown Ellis' way, though, as during a reunion performance with Donald 'Iceman' Anderson, Christopher 'Johnny' Daley demanded "no 'bout four time you a resign offa stage now? Give Iceman and Johnny a run. If me see him pon de stage again, me ago sey him tek whe de people money a Backyaad!"

Ity and Fancy Cat said the first time they worked on a stage as comedians, it was with Blakka Ellis, but now "de board meet. Say too much comedian in the business". Hence, some restructuring is required. "We a cut from top," they said. "Who you feel we shoulda cut nex'?"

"Quatro!" they chorused.

The generation of jokers after Ellis spoke about him having a hand in their careers, Iceman saying that Ellis gave him his first job as an actor, while Pretty Boy Floyd gave details about packing his suitcase in preparing for what he thought would be his first tour overseas with Ellis. When the car got to St Elizabeth, Floyd found out that the show was at the Jungle Nightclub in Negril.

Floyd, who took over MC duties from the fluffy Miss Kitty, encouraged the capacity audience to stand for Ellis when he came on at 10:30 p.m., which they did.

"Is a nice time, is a wonderful evening, it's great to be alive," Ellis said, and all agreed.

He got off only one joke and, leaning forward slightly, and was settling into his official penultimate stand-up when a quartet of women carried a cake, candles glowing on top, onstage behind him. When Ellis realised what was happening he said "waapen to dem people ya man". The women led the Backyaad audience in singing happy birthday for Ellis, who said. "Ity mek dis plan an no tell me. I never approve this."

"Is this part of the budget?" he demanded after he had blown out the candles and cut the cake.

Public consumption

Owen 'Blakka' Ellis in his element.

And he was off into solid fare of serious matters with laughter served on the side, Ellis commenting on age ("nothing is as discouraging as grey pubic hair") and the difference in years in relationships. Ellis said when an older man trots out with a young thing, eyebrows are often raised, yet when an older woman steps out with a young man she is admired "like bwoy cyaa get molested too".

Still, he noted for those in long-term relationships who have to start over, "nobody nah sell ol' car fi buy ol' car".

Ellis noted the strength of the '4/20' marijuana legalisation campaign in Canada, where he now lives, including public consumption, and lamented the lack of constructive action in Jamaica. "If everybody who smoke weed a Jamaica go pon de road go smoke weed dem no have enough jail cell," Ellis said.

"In Jamaica, we no have the courage to campaign for certain tings an' a campaign gains' certain tings," he said. Naturally, chief among the latter 'certain tings' is homosexuality. "I don' see how chi chi man affec' dem, unless chi chi man did affec' dem," Ellis said, his emphasis on the second 'affec'' cracking up the audience. He said that he has worked in theatre for more than 20 years and no man has ever made a pass at him. "True yu short!" someone commen-ted in the audience.

Ellis compared the art of comedy to an egg, which breaks if squeezed too hard and falls if carried too low. "You have to hold it gently and pass it on to somebody else so they can enjoy it," Blakka said. "Give thanks to the egg to me," Ellis said. He credited Ike (Florizel Glasspole) and Mike (Eric Coverley) as the first comedy duo in Jamaica, then there were Slim and Sam, Bim and Bam, Miss Lou and Maas Ran, Bello and Blakka, Ity and Fancy Cat, Beenie Man and D'Angel.

Exquisite delivery

"They make people laugh together," Ellis said, as the audience roared at the last pair, going on to describe a particular Charles Hyatt routine that had "perfect timing, exquisite delivery".

But he was not finished with gender matters. "In a place like Jamaica, it is so funny that we spend so much money to see man who," Ellis said, not having to complete the sentence. He added that it is amazing people who don't like something pay to watch it and then 'bun' it.

"It's OK to be gentle as a man," Ellis said. "As I get younger, I find it is easier to cry."

Blakka noted his role in Ity and Fancy Cat's career, commenting that now Iceman and Johnny are back together they have to step up their game.

Final round

Ity (left) and Fancy Cat mimic homosexual men in this skit.

From describing Aunty Becca's cursing style (she delivered them with motion and in all tenses) to verbally going through the process of a man doing all the work in bed while the woman just lies there ("two a we in bed, two a we haffi work!") Ellis had his audience rapt around his words.

"Men like women with small hands, for when a small hand hold something small it look big," Ellis said, to bring the house down before he left the stage, the house deejay playing 'Happy Birthday'. But he came back, to MC the rest of the event, taking a seat along with many comedians who returned to stage for the final round of laughter.

And close to the wrap-up well past midnight, Ellis got to end the tale interrupted by the cake, saying that at the Take Me Away concert last Sunday, he stood up for Gem Myers and Richie Stephens became Richie Stiffens. "Is anybody coming to Backyaad for the first time?" he asked. "You can tell people Blakka make you come."