By Compass Contributor Christopher Tobutt
They say stand-up comedy is the hardest job in the world – and after stepping up to the mic myself, I can confirm: they’re right.
But on a recent Wednesday night at the 19-81 Brewery & Taproom in Grand Cayman’s Industrial Park, a brave band of comics proved that laughter – excellent medicine for us all in these worrying times – is possible.
The event, ‘Laughter on Tap,’ is the brainchild of Matt Poskitt, a Yorkshire-born comic who arrived in Cayman earlier this year and quickly noticed a gap in the entertainment scene.
“When I arrived in March, there was no regular stand-up,” he said.
Through his website platform, he’s launched a series of open mic nights with the goal of creating a thriving comedy scene.
“We all need to laugh more,” he said. “And while you can watch it on TV, there’s nothing like being in the room when it happens.”
‘Laughter on Tap’ now runs every third Wednesday at the 19-81 Taproom, with a new show, ‘Prospect Punchlines,’ launching at the Prospect Playhouse on 27 Oct. Poskitt also serves as host and MC, warming up the crowd with cheeky charm. “This is going to be 90 minutes of nonstop laughs,” he grinned, “but I’m not here to talk about my sex life.”
The night opened with Michael Barnes, a true Caymanian voice with a gift for storytelling. His delivery was low-key and self-deprecating, but his timing was razor-sharp. He spoke of boyhood dreams of becoming a football star like David Beckham – only to end up working at a local grocery store.
“Not exactly what the beautiful women were looking for,” he deadpanned.
Barnes’s stories were soaked in pathos but never pity.
Shakir Johnson, a New Yorker by culture – riffed on British culture: “Pubs wherever you throw a rock, bangers and mash…” and New York sarcasm.
Taylor Kilby followed with a wild set about pickup trucks and Power Rangers and something – maybe everything – going wrong.
Then it was my turn. I opened with ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, reciting the lyrics slowly and menacingly. “He sees you when you’re sleeping…” got a laugh – but it was the hardest five minutes of my life.
Still, I walked off with a new respect for the courage it takes to stand up and try to make people laugh, and for the community that’s forming around this brave, brilliant art form right here in Cayman.
Christopher Tobutt is a freelance journalist who has written for various publications in the Cayman Islands since 2003.
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