‘Sizzaz Kut’ ready for Round 2

TVJ's newest nighttime 'dramedy', Sizzaz Kut, concluded on Monday night with enough drama to leave tongues wagging and viewers' jaws on the floor.

The show takes place primarily in a beauty salon, where the main characters Dawn, played by Shola Collins; Crysi, played by Nareka Baker; Letty, played by Latoya Malcolm; Kerry, played by Brianna Miller; and Prep, played by Colin Lamont work. The shop is frequently visited by pedlar Brickle, portrayed by Duncan Ellis, whose punchlines always land, making him the resident comedian of the shop and the show overall. Speaking with The Gleaner, Ellis says he and his character share some similarities, and he is happy with how fans have received his work on the series.

“It has been a great response from fans of the show. I will just be walking in the supermarket, and random people will just come up to me and tell me how much they are enjoying the show, and friends and relatives have been saying the same thing. Most time, they would run up to me say the famous tagline, 'It's me, Brickle! Girls dem sey it thick, and it nuh lickle!'” he joyfully recounted. “Me and Brickle have a lot in common. But still, I had to think of some people I knew that are hilarious and think of how they would react in certain scenarios to help me really bring the character to life,” he continued.

Brickle's love interest on the show is Dawn, who runs the salon. In the season finale, things finally started to heat up between the two, and according to Ellis, fans will have to stay tuned to see what develops in season two.

Co-star Malcolm, whose character Letty was caught up in a love 'situationship' with a married man, also shared similar sentiments of fans' reactions though for her, many came with words of caution, most of which [were] to “Leave the people dem man”. Though on screen she appeared to be completely comfortable with her role, she revealed that it was difficult at first to become Letty.

“It was not so easy. I had to dig deep to find her and emulate her just to take on the character wholesomely. It even took a toll on me to the point where even in real life, I still had her... I watched some real stories so I could deliver, and it could resonate,” she shared.

NO STRANGER

Malcolm is no stranger to acting as she has been doing it professionally for several years, having appeared on stage with Michael Nicholson and Shebada Ramsay as well as cameos on Ity and Fancy Cat.

The show aired every Monday night at 9:30 p.m., and it was drama at every turn as there was another love triangle around – Prep and Kerry and Stacy, who also began working in the shop and was Prep's long-time girlfriend. The shocking revelations of the final episodes that left the women in unfavourable spots left viewers wondering if Prep was the show's real villain.

According to Lamont, who brought the character Prep to life, it was a very interesting role to take on, and he is happy fans enjoyed it.

“It could get a little awkward sometimes because of the nature of the role and the relationship that we have as cast members, but we remained professional throughout it all to ensure that the scenes translated well on camera and viewers could enjoy the show,” he said.

Miller, whose character Kerry was also caught up in the saga, certainly took the show out with a 'bang' as the relationship that began to develop between her and Prep left scars not only on hearts but maybe even on the face.

“That last scene was very difficult to play. I am still in a daze. I was nervous because as an actress, your job is to ensure that the performance is natural, and I told the crew I didn't know what it feels like to get slapped in the face. I remember begging Stacy, 'Do! Nuh box mi too hot'. We did what we had to do to make the hit a hit,” she disclosed.

Stacy, played by supporting actress Tamara Burns, also chimed in to add that with the dramatic season-ending, she cannot wait to see what happens next on Sizzaz Kut.

“I felt elated (watching the final production). I was so excited, especially to the fact that I did not read the entire script, so for me to watch it to the end and see the entire storyline, I was so excited. I am looking forward to some more awesome acting and just to see how the story ends up,” she said.

For Lamont, Season 2 is all about the next chapter for everyone.

“I can't wait to see how Kerry's and Prep's relationship will evolve, what will happen next with Stacy, and if Brickle and Dawn will end up being a real thing,” he said.

aaliyah.ccunningham@gleanerjm.com