4 months ago
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For 27 years, Jambiz International has been a cornerstone of Jamaican theatre, delivering laughter and compelling performances to audiences. Their latest comedy, Barefoot Battalion, continues the tradition at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston, running five nights a week.
While actors like Glen Campbell, Sharee Elise, and Courtney Wilson take centre stage, the true backbone of Jambiz lies in its dedicated crew. From ushers to technical engineers, these professionals ensure the seamless operation of one of the island’s leading theatre companies.
Behind the scenes, usher and assistant stage manager Ryan Graham, 30, brings energy and enthusiasm to his role. “When you love what you do, you wouldn’t consider it a job,” says Graham, a graduate of Excelsior Community College’s School of Performing Arts. Assisting patrons and managing backstage logistics, he finds joy in making theatre accessible to all.
Jambiz’s resident technical engineer, Mark Rush, has been with the company for over 15 years. Managing lighting and sound, he describes his role as being akin to acting. “I have to study the script just the same, and attend every rehearsal,” says Rush, an Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts alum, who earned a certificate in writing and acting in 1999, also writes short plays and acts. He notes that Barefoot Battalion, set in 1834, has been an educational experience for audiences. “Some people don’t know about their history like the Tainos,” Rush said, adding that it’s great to see them learning.
Stage manager Cyprian Fuller has been with Jambiz for six years, balancing his role with acting. “Balancing both roles can be challenging,” says The University of the West Indies, Mona, grad with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “But it’s also very rewarding,” shared Fuller, who plays the Taino character Yaku in Barefoot Battalion. “My experience in stage management helps me understand the bigger picture of the production, which enhances my acting performance.”
At the front of the house, greeting patrons at the entrance, Hopeton Denton ensures a smooth theatre experience. First impressions matter for the 53-year-old, who also works as a primary school educator. His biggest challenge? Patrons “trying to smuggle in food and drink,” he chuckles.
Longtime Jambiz actor Glen Campbell, who currently plays the co-lead character Bug in Barefoot Battalion, reminisced about his first production with the company, Oliver and Pinocchio in 1998, alongside legends Oliver Samuels, Fae Ellington, the late Volier Johnson, Kathy Owens and Claudette Pious. He noted that it was amazing “seeing how much our Jamaican theatre and culture was sought after in the region and the diaspora”.
As Jambiz nears its 30th anniversary, with co-founder Patrick Brown’s track record of faithfully churning out two plays a year for four to five month stretches to full-houses, Campbell attributes Jambiz’s success to the brand’s consistency. “We have worked diligently to consistently have a high quality in the production value of our plays – the scripts, the acting, the sets, the technical quality and the social issues being tackled,” he says. The company also benefits from partnerships with service clubs and charities, which use productions as fundraisers.
Jambiz business partner Lenford Salmon, who alongside Brown and the late Trevor Nairne, founded the theatrical company in 1996, reflected on Jambiz’s journey, from its roots at Centrestage Theatre to its current home at Courtleigh Auditorium. “It was a difficult move from Centrestage,” he shared. “[But] the Courtleigh folks have been very kind to us and so we have been considered the resident theatre company with the blessing of the Courtleigh organisation,” Salmon says.
Theatre, Salmon admits, is a tough business. “We do struggle from time to time,” Salmon admits .”But we have been truly blessed to be honest.” With two seasons – one from Boxing Day to March or mid-April and another in the summer – Jambiz remains committed to delivering high-quality entertainment year after year.
English (US) ·