Lota starts season of comedy shows

The new school of stand-up comedians, calling themselves Laugh on the Ave or Lota, will host a season of shows across the country.

The group of 12 young comedians will be touring both islands with their unique and hilarious brand of Trinbagonian comedy, a media release said. If all goes to plan Lota will have shows in north, south and central Trinidad and Tobago.

Lota started in 2019 when the group decided to re-imagine the place of local comedians on the entertainment circuit. Instead of sporadic employment at the whims of promoters, the comics began producing and promoting their own shows and in 2022 launched their first season of shows attracting hundreds, the release said.

Originally intended as a platform for testing stand-up comedy material and honing their craft, the shows began taking on a life of their own and resulted in a kind of movement with sold-out shows across the country and a loyal and diverse following, the release said.

Lota’s cast includes Thaddy Boom, Jerome Richardson, Louris Martin Lee-Sing – Lyrix, Jr Lee, Kevin Soyer, Kess Ramsey, Jonathan Pierre, Shae Bethel – The Couva Lord, Gabriel Brijmohan, Kwame Weeks, Kareem Forde – Jonathan Proof, and Stephon John.

Weeks, popular on social media with his local jokes made behind burglar proofing, reflected on how far the team has come from shows with less than 20 audience members to the thriving movement he sees today. “It’s gratifying to hear the positive feedback from the shows and to see persons who make an effort to come to each one because they don’t want to miss a thing,” he said in the release.

Kess Ramsey, also well-known on social media for his “Christian” brand of comedy, said, “Each of the comedians is unique and has their own angle. My faith influences my comedy and we all accept one another.”

As the only woman in the comedian collective, Lyrix revels in the camaraderie.

“The joy of working with people who have the same goals, to improve our performance, is appreciated. We meet regularly to practise our jokes on each other and get feedback to grow. That’s one of the best things about Lota,” she said.

The team also welcomes newer comedians and have created an open-mic slot at the top of each show so that anyone can come and try out a few jokes. Show host and team member Jr Lee really enjoys that part of the show. “It’s great to see people of all ages try-out stand-up comedy. Some of them have been so good and consistent we might invite them to join the cast.”

Laugh on the Ave shows begin June 15 at Two Fifty Two Restaurant and Lounge, behind Centre of Excellence, Macoya.