Stand-up comedian and businessman Curley C. Roberts loves to make people laugh

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE METEORIC rise of comedian Curley C. Roberts has come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the popular actor and businessman’s journey.

He is a past student of St Catherine High School who had plans to become an attorney, journalist and graphic artist, but would discover his passion to entertain at the Seventh-day Adventist Church he and his mother attended.

When his mother and father separated, and with no one to help, Roberts had to find work to pay his tuition while attending the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. However, he ended his studies prematurely to pursue a career in the financial sector.

After several years, Roberts walked away from banking to start a health food restaurant in Spanish Town.

“The business flop,” the comic blurted with a chuckle. “I had to start all over again, so I headed west. I moved to Montego Bay because I was ready to start from scratch ... because I knew I would not stay there.

“When a man hits rock bottom, there is nowhere else to go but up, and losing my business was a very low point in my life,” he said. “But I was determined and I have some good friends around me.”

Today, Roberts is a businessman, motivational speaker, paralegal, and one of the most sought-after local acts in stand-up comedy.

While many see the success, only a few will appreciate the pain to reap the rewards for hard work and determination, which came after relocating to Montego Bay.

At that time, it was the early stages of the call centre evolution, and Roberts was soon moving through the ranks to a senior position.

In spite of this, his prowess for entertaining was always on key as, wherever he went, he would easily become the life of any gathering.

But it was his reputation as a skilled painter that led to his entry into theatre, when he took a job to do a backdrop for Douglas Prout.

Soon he was painting for most of the top local productions at the time, including Shebada, Dahlia Harris and David Tulloch.

“I was the painter,” he said, matter-of-factly, “but one day I saw Johnny (Daley) and Dahlia rehearsing for a play and it piqued my interest, but no one took my approach seriously”.

First role

Months later, he was offered a role in his first stint of acting by David Prout.

“I personally think he offered the role to the top actors and they refused the part,” he said jokingly. “But I smashed the part, and how I know I was doing well was because I played the part of an idiot and the audience was cussing out, because it was a character people love to hate.”

Prout played a significant role in each stage of Roberts’ journey, giving him a nudge in becoming a producer. And it was his call that challenged an inexperienced Roberts to enter the demanding stage of stand-up comedy in 2016.

He was determined to learn and sat at the feet of content writers and took every opportunity to be in the same space with legends of the craft.

He also learned the importance of knowing his audience after belting out a raunchy, inappropriate joke at a religious event.

“The church people would not have it, because the joke was not very ‘churchical’. They did not boo me, or it is the Christian boo, because they were all clapping me off the stage, “ Roberts recalls. “I just chose the wrong joke at the time.”

Responding to the demands for clean family entertainment is no joke business, as the resurgence of the arts in the west continues with the monthly staging of the Curley C. Roberts ‘Punchline’ at popular gaming and entertainment spot Coral Cliff, which has featured top comedians including Fancy Cat and Robert Finzi-Smith.

“You only fail when you give up,” Roberts noted. “Always believe, do not look for external gratification or approval. You must believe that you will be a winner.

“When I have shows and only two people turn up, I still push to give my best performance, because I will not stop,” he declared. “When all the cast members get paid except me, I was still determined not to stop.”

But this multi-talented actor is determined to maximise all the opportunities and, when not on stage or giving a motivational speech, his hands are at work at the Curley C. Roberts Wax & Pampering Studio, where he has skilfully merged his skills as a trained massage therapist with the art of waxing.

“I love making people laugh, and the ladies will tell you I am good with my hands,” he said mischievously. “I love what I do and mi naw stop.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com