Dufton Shepherd comes of age - One-man show a hit

There was belly-busting, tear-jerking laughter inside the Phoenix Theatre on Sunday night as comedian Dufton Shepherd delivered a superb one-man comedy special to a sold-out crowd.

Shepherd, who was celebrating his 10-year anniversary in comedy, gave fans a look into his ‘crazy’ mind as the show lived up to its name. For more than an hour, the comedian was ‘slightly unhinged’, delivering joke after joke touching on every topic imaginable, from athletics to politics to relationships to sex. Packing one powerful punchline after the other, Shepherd showed just how he became one of the most sought after comedians in Jamaica. No one, not even his parents, was spared the comedic onslaught. As his mother and father sat in the audience, they became the topic of conversation for a few of Shepherd’s jokes. Stories about his upbringing (particularly how he and his three brothers were disciplined by his strict mother) resonated with the audience as the tales hit home for many patrons.

LOST IN THE STORIES

There was an effortlessness in the way Shepherd delivered his jokes. Rather than being left alone to figure out the jokes themselves, audience members felt like they were part of the act somehow. One couldn’t help but get lost in the stories. Although they didn’t seem to mind the comedic high they were experiencing, the thought of falling off one’s chair from uncontrollable laughter kept guests from going completely over the edge.

Speaking with The Gleaner after the show, an overwhelmed Shepherd said he had been nervous about his set but was happy he was able to deliver. “Before every performance, before every set, before I take the microphone anywhere, anytime at all, I get nervous. Anytime you don’t get nervous as a performer, it’s like you’re taking people for granted. Nerves is a sign of preparation and hard work,” he said. “I’m happy I could come out here and deliver. I feel loved, and I’m also emotional because it’s the first time I get to put some energy into the memory of Elva. She’s a part of us, and I know she’d want us to continue making people laugh,” he said.

Shepherd revealed that he had been toying with the idea of staging his own special for a long time. “I believe in taking steps, and everything I do should be an evolution of where I used to be. Every year, I set a goal for myself, and after the Outburst comedy show last year, I got some real good feedback, and I was thinking about hosting my own show for some time now, and one day, I was speaking to Johnny Daley and he said it was the right time now. He said, ‘You’re the star right now, so just go out and do it’ ,and that’s what I did.”

Having seen the success of this event, Shepherd has plans to develop the ‘Slightly Unhinged’ theme into a brand. “Look out for more. This won’t be the last show from ‘Slightly Unhinged’; it’s only the beginning. It’s definitely going to become a staple, maybe once or twice per year,” he said.

‘The Cross-Eyed Villain’ Diego and Chris Larmond were the night’s other performers. The event was hosted by Dahlia Harris.