Maverick of Comedy, Oliver Samuels
Actor and Comedian
Photography by Jik-Reuben Pringle.
“Yu mus be so proud a ya native tongue, das how mi feel. People mus be awed by it and want to know where it comes from.”
With a 50-plus-year stage career, Oliver Samuels is a household name across Jamaica, the Caribbean, and its global diaspora. The actor and comedian rose to fame in the late 1980s for his leading performance in the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation’s sitcom Oliver at Large.
Effortlessly slipping in and out of Jamaican Patois and standard English, Mr. Samuels shares how his comedy brings Jamaicans around the world together.
For Mr. Samuels, it starts with pride in one’s language and culture. “With Oliver at Large, we thought we were doing something for the Jamaican palette, but it resonated worldwide. When the show was broadcast, bars across the islands either locked or waited till it was over. It was an event. Normally, in our culture, Friday night a man’s night. After a hard week at work, Friday night a wen man socialize, play domino, an av a few drinks at him favourite bar wid friends. Oliver at Large changed that. On Friday nights, man go a dem yard, cock-up dem foot, an have a good time with dem family. Mothers and children had the opportunity to see dem puppa on a Friday night.”
In those days, it was very cheap for broadcasting houses to import TV shows from abroad. Oliver at Large was created at a time when there was very little on television that affirmed regional culture.
Based on the actor’s alter ego, Olivious Adams, Oliver at Large explored almost every facet of Jamaican society, thanks mainly to writer Patrick Brown. With the show still accessible to audiences online and a collection of spin-offs leading up to Oliver Back a Yaad in 2022, the show still resonates. “People watch it like it’s the first time. Some know the lines by heart. Others talk about the effect it had on their children abroad. The show brought them closer to home and taught them how to speak the language.”
“Comedy allows us to be reflective about our lives and our situation. It encourages one to be inquisitive. Discipline and education are also encouraged by performing arts. Tools vital for transformation and change in Jamaica. We need to get back to the idea that it takes a village and live that. We need an economy free of corruption and patrimony, where every individual benefits.”
These values continue to bloom in Mr. Samuels’s career which is still very much ongoing. Alongside other dedicated colleagues, he continues to advocate for the “resuscitation of self-sustaining cultural spaces in Jamaica.” He sits on the board of Jamaica’s oldest theatre, The Ward. He reminds us that access to the arts for young people allows them to excel in other areas of education. Mr Samuels’ most effective means is to lead by example, which in his case means taking to the stage.
Mr Samuels is gearing up for the 2023 UK tour of his latest stage play, Teet an Tung, exploring the theme of betrayal and the importance of revering friendship. The play, written by Mr. Samuels, continues to examine relatable situations in his community and the attitudes that disturb their potential for unity. Mr. Samuels insists this latest play is a collective work made whole by the contributions of the director and cast. “What keeps me going? The energy from the audience. Audiences in the UK have a lot of energy that gives me the encouragement to passionately continue on my creative journey.”
Interview by Tega Okiti.
