– Comedian Chris Gopaul speaks of his love for comedy and why artistes should be offered more

By Telesha Persaud
VICTOR Christopher Gopaul, known as Chris Gopaul, got his heart’s desire when he ran into local entertainer Kirk Jardine (Chow Pow) and enquired about how he could get into the entertainment industry in Guyana.Jardine told him to show up for Upscale’s Comedy Night to show off what skills he had. If he did well with the crowd and made people laugh, Jardine promised to pay him the second time he performed. Upscale Restaurant featured a comedy night every first and last Friday of the month.
Chris blew the roof off on his first visit to the restaurant and Jardine made good on his promise by bringing him back on the second occasion, and of course, this time, paying him. From that day forward, Chris never looked back.
On a later occasion, Chris, 35, was sitting in his Ministry of Infrastructure Office when he received a call from Jardine encouraging him to audition for the Mori Javon show. Many persons didn’t qualify to do a specific part in the show, but Chris got it!
After this, GT&T did ‘Cinderella’ at the National Cultural Center (NCC) and Chris was afforded the opportunity to play the Prince. Chris would continue to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry with numerous other plays including those by Neaz Subhan.
Although it has only been about five years since Chris entered the acting fraternity, he feels that this aspect of his life dates back to ever since he was a child. In fact, he fondly recalls how he deliberately ‘spoiled’ every photo that the family took by making funny faces, much to the ire of his mother.
Chris loves the stage and would do anything to promote local talent in Guyana. “Acting is not a job. Acting is a part of me that I can’t see myself without. Acting is never about the money; it’s about respect. Whenever I leave the country, I am proud to promote Guyana to everybody. I don’t hesitate. I also leave phone numbers so that if people want to contact artistes here, they don’t have to go through me.”
Chris hopes to take his talent overseas, although he has no intentions leaving Guyana on a permanent basis. “I really want to go international to be able to showcase Guyana; show people what Guyana is capable of doing.”

Drop the taxes!
The only proper stage that local artistes are given is that of Theatre Guild which holds approximately 300 people. “For us to get the Cultural Center, there is a 20 percent tax imposed on every single ticket. Then, there is a 16 percent tax imposed on every single ticket. Then, there is a rental fee attached. Then we have to read, write and regurgitate. Each and every artiste would also have to be paid. So that’s how tough we have it trying to put entertainment on the market,” Chris explained.
Furthermore, he said: “If something is shown on the screen at the NCC, you don’t have to pay a tax but if it’s a live show you pay a tax. It’s crap! Help us showcase what we have and help people enjoy what we do. Drop the taxes so we can drop the prices,” he urged.
If those in authority really want to boost the local talent that is available, Chris said they would definitely do something about this plight of local artistes.
Then there’s the issue of the push cart people who pirate artistes’ material and sell it back for next to nothing. “To pay a videographer to do a show is at least $60,000. People take two and three of our DVDs and put them on one and sell them for $200. We have stopped making DVDs because this kills our art,” Chris noted. This puts the artistes at a huge disadvantage financially.

Senior GIS
Chris, born and raised in Triumph Village, East Coast Demerara, admires such qualities as honesty, punctuality, and professionalism, and he believes that these qualities set him apart in the fraternity.
Born to caring parents Raymond and Carol Gopaul, Chris attended St. Peter’s Primary in Beterverwagting (now out of existence) and then Annandale Secondary. Just after finishing school, he briefly taught Physical Education and English at his secondary school. He pressed on academically and eventually secured Diplomas in Land Surveying and Building and Civil Engineering.
He gained employment with what was then the Ministry of Public Works (now Ministry of Public Infrastructure) in 2006 and started off as a land surveying technician. He then became a sea defense clerk and he is now a Senior Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Officer.
Chris credits his success with his books to his parents and siblings who all knew the value of an education and who did all they could to help him through school.
His upbringing has taught him the importance of remaining humble and in giving back to others. “I’m the last of five children. We grew up in a two bedroom house. We knew how to share two plantain and one egg. We know what poverty is. We used to make cars out of Colgate boxes and drink corks because we couldn’t afford to buy anything. My parents and siblings (Stephen, Diane, Denise, Fabian) definitely had an impact on how I viewed my education.”
Chris believes in the Golden Rule to treat everyone the exact way that you would like them to treat you.
He is married to Oritta and they have a daughter, Emily.