Unscripted Sundays honours theatre icons

Unscripted Sundays, a groundbreaking monthly live script-reading event, celebrates its six-month anniversary on August 31 at Johnny’s Place, on Dunrobin Avenue in St Andrew.

To mark this milestone, the event will spotlight Jamaica’s rich theatrical heritage with a live table reading of the acclaimed comedy, Toy Boy, written by award-winning playwright Basil Dawkins. Bringing this classic comedy to life are two of Jamaica’s finest performers, Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley and Sherando Ferril.

In recognition of the trailblazers who paved the way and starred in this play in previous stagings, this special edition will pay tribute to iconic figures of Jamaican film and theatre - Leonie Forbes, Volier Johnson, Barbara McCalla, and Christopher McFarlane. Their artistry, contribution and dedication to Jamaica’s theatrical landscape will be celebrated. Tributes will be delivered by distinguished film, television and theatre practitioners Dahlia Harris, Maylynne Lowe, Deon Silvera, and Dorothy Cunningham.

“I started Unscripted Sundays because of my love for the arts and the people in it. We have so much talent in Jamaica and not enough opportunities to showcase. I never knew what to expect, but what we have seen so far is much more than I could have hoped for,” shared Sherando Ferril, Unscripted Sundays producer and CEO of Yaad Bridge Entertainment.

Since its launch on March 30, Unscripted Sundays has provided a stage for emerging and established Jamaican writers to test, refine, and elevate their work through live readings and real-time audience feedback. Each month, the event fosters collaboration, inspires creativity, and strengthens the bonds of Jamaica’s artistic community.

“Alignment with Unscripted Sundays was a no-brainer. We nurture and expose talent at Johnny Live Productions, and that’s exactly what this is about. Looking forward to many more months of laughter, exposure and sheer talent growth,” remarked Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley, director at Johnny Live Productions Ltd and Unscripted Sundays sponsor.

The six-month anniversary comes on the heels of the successful Black River Film Festival Special Edition on June 29, where Unscripted Sundays closed the festival with a star-studded event featuring industry leaders including Jamaican filmmakers Wentworth Kelly and Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly; Jamaica’s Film Commissioner Jackie Jackson; JAMPRO’s Kevin Jackson; international producers Dolapo Erinkitola, Sofian Francis, and Lex Boothe; as well as Phillip Clarke, director of policy and research at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

“I want to congratulate the Yaad Bridge Entertainment team for pioneering Unscripted Sundays over the past six months,” noted Rosalea Hamilton, CEO of LASCO Chin Foundation which is a sponsor of Unscripted Sundays. “They have created a distinctive platform for scriptwriters to showcase their creativity and build meaningful connections. The LASCO Chin Foundation is proud to support this valuable and impactful initiative.”

Unscripted Sundays is a free monthly event that is produced by Yaad Bridge Entertainment and is held on the last Sunday of every month. The event is hosted by actress and broadcaster Rosemary Murray-Tingling.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com