Bobby Smith - File photos

Bobby Smith will never be enthused to hug those with 'unorthodox' sexual preferences. So, on Sunday night, the comedian invited all men to join him in an organisation whose acronym left little to the imagination - Performance Under Systematic Scrutiny Yearly.

Smith introduced his new group at Com Mek Wi Laaf - It's Christmas, a comedy show put on by the Best Care Foundation at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. The proceeds from the show will go towards critical care and support for disabled children housed at the Best Care Children's Home.

Smith's risqué jokes, and the ease with which he delivered them, had the audience eating out of his hands throughout his entire set. He also encouraged his male counterparts to learn a new language - woman.

"Learn to speak woman; it could save your life," he joked.

He was one of three entertainers who kept the audience engaged from the moment they took the stage to the final quip on a night filled with laughter from a full house in the hotel's ballroom.

Comedienne Elva said she had delivered a 30-minute set; the audience wasn't so sure. One thing was certain though she did deliver on the laughs, so much so that no one could possibly have kept account of time.

Elva brought the curtains down

The sole female act for the night (not counting MC Audrey Reid who also kept the audience engaged), Elva brought the curtains and the house down with her unforced jibes at politicians, the poor conditions of our roads and a favourite topic for the night - relationships. The proud 'Portmorian' stressed the virtues and prowess of women, saying only women can "get a man to eat and them don't cook".

And just as Elva brought the curtains down with much laughter, that's how Leighton Smith kicked things off. The Comedy Buss alumnus, who Reid took some credit in 'discovering', touched on loaded subjects like the promise of "jobs, jobs and more jobs" and filling the post of police commissioner. But one of his greatest hits for the night was on a subject that has become almost taboo. The extradition.

"US government send fi Dudus and him nuh wah go. If a did mi, mi gone long time. After all, thousands of people yearn for the opportunity daily," he reasoned.

Smith exited the stage to thunderous applause, making way for Rohan Gunter. Though he delivered his punchlines with conviction, there was a sense of having been there before. His familiar set drew barely enough laughs from the crowd.

The next act on stage was no joker, but wooed the audience with his voice nonetheless. Twenty-two-year-old Natel thrilled with his vocal skills, giving good representation of classic hits like Hello and Tell It like It Is, easily switching to a more contemporary sound with Jah Cure's Call on Me and his very own, You Turn Me On. His performance was a welcome punctuation to the jokes which flowed aplenty.

Caribbean acts Nuts, Landing from Trinidad and Silbert 'Birdman' Gordon, gave adequate performances, managing to survive the wrath of the audience.

Charles Hyatt Jr was almost not so lucky. His jokes seemed too involved, lacking the oomph of shorter, punchier ones and his performance suffered for it. By the time he got to the punchlines, most people had lost interest. One audience member showed she had had enough by applauding out of turn. Hyatt exited the stage shortly thereafter.

( L - R ) Elva, Leighton Smith