GUYANA is in for a hilarious treat over the holiday weekend when comedian cum producer, Linden Jumbie Jones stages another edition of the ever popular comedy show, ‘Uncensored’.Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the National Cultural Centre here in Georgetown, ‘Uncensored’ will see comedians competing this year for over G$1M in cash and prizes, and patrons coming in for a few prizes themselves. Christmas in Guyana is certainly a time of love and laughter, and with lovers, families and singles alike already grabbing their tickets, the event, which is being sponsored by Giftland, is tagged to be a sold-out affair.

The third time around for the show, the most comical individual competitor is set to win a cool half-a-mil, and be named monarch on the first night of the show, with reigning ‘monarch’ Odessa Primus defending her title. Second and third place winners will cart off G$350,000 and $200,000 respectively.
The show is billed to start at precisely 20:00hrs; tickets are available at the NCC, Giftland, Nigels Supermarket and other venues at prices of $2500, $1500 and $1000.
Each night, one lucky patron will win a $20,000 gift voucher, courtesy of Game Express, while others will also carry away other door prizes.
Comedians for the holiday weekend show include the likes of Odessa Primus, Michael ‘Credit’ Ignatius, Chris Gopaul, ‘Sir Mars’, Mark Edwards, ‘Jumbie’, ‘Chow Pow’, and Malcolm Ferreira.
Jones said children will not be allowed entry, since “when one is doing comedy, time and place are very important, hence one has to ensure one’s target audience corresponds with content.”
According to Jones, ‘Uncensored’ is an attempt at removing certain limitations and allowing comedians the liberty of expressing themselves, and making the kind of jokes they would not otherwise be allowed to make anywhere.
“It is a show that would give the comedians the leverage and the scope to have that freedom of expression,” Jones said, adding:
“We would caution and ask comedians not to use certain languages and so but be free don’t hold back, this is unlimited comedy, like the American style of comedy.”
Jones said he identifies with comedians the likes of Chris Rock, Richard Prior and Eddy Murphy, who though witty and intelligent, are “off the cut” in their delivery.
Nevertheless, he is inspired by their liberty to stage a show which would offer Guyanese comedians such right at home.
“They would use profanities, and name every part of the human anatomy freely when they make their jokes,” he said. “They had that leverage; they didn’t have to self-censor themselves; they had that freedom, and I wanted it so badly.”
Noting that before ‘Uncensored’,no one wanted to risk putting on such a show for fear of being condemned, Jones stoutly said, “But I did, because I was willing to defend it!”

By Shauna Jemmott