Dancehall Queen becomes promoter

• Audrey Reid stages 'Ladies of the Night' to celebrate birthday

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Actress Audrey Reid, who hit the big screen in a big way in 1997 as the lead in Dancehall Queen, quickly confesses that she was not a dancehall fan in her earlier years. Apart from her "being a product of the ghetto and it is there", Reid said, "maybe if somebody see me in a dance they would ask what me a do there".

In one of the quirky life-script changes, however, Reid is now putting on 'Ladies of the Night' at Vegas Flamingo in Montego Bay, St James. It is a case of her life imitating unexpected art, as in Dancehall Queen Reid's character Marcia also got involved in dancehall unexpectedly on a business level, though as an entrant in a dancehall queen contest.

The party on Friday, September 30, features performances by Pamputae, Lady Saw and Spice, with Reid hosting, though she remarks that it would not be surprising to see her breaking into performance of the vocal kind.

"Maybe me will clash, them deejay and me trace," she said, laughing. DJ Kentucky and Dapper Classique Sound will play the music.

'Ladies
of the Night' is Reid's birthday party, which would normally be
celebrated in England when she is there on tour with a play.

Reid
is already involved in music in another way, a very public one, as a
judge on the televised Tastee Talent Contest. She has become known for
her forthright, sometimes seemingly brutal, feedback to the performing
hopefuls. However, she points out, "Them cuss we too. Sometimes you have
to answer back. You think them contestant easy?"

Plus, she says,
as a judge, "the response is harsh, but fair. I come from theatre. There
are certain things you are looking for". And she also says that some of
the contestants "don't know what to do, but they are the biggest star".

She
got involved with the competition after being called by Howard McGowan,
this after she was a judge on 'Comedy Buss'. McGowan cautioned Reid
that "we want you for Tastee, but not for people to watch because of
you, but the contestants". Still, her theatrical flair demanded a little
bit more than the norm and so Reid has had the judging trio of herself,
Oral Tracey and Amelia 'Milk' Sewell do dress themes, like a retro
look.

Theatre also comes into play in her new role as promoter.
"If I am doing something, the theme has to be not ordinary," Reid said.
And the 'Ladies of the Night' title is, of course, relating the theme of
the show to the overall concept. "Them say me is the bad girl in
theatre, so me draw for some other rude girl to back that. I could not
think of anyone but Lady Saw, Spice and Pamputae," Reid said. Still, she
points out, "we are ladies, we are not performing in the morning or the
afternoon, we are performing in the night".

"We are not
hooligans, we are proper ladies," Reid said. "They say we can be the
roughest women in Jamaica. No, we can be ladies."

But it is a
matter of ladies with an edge, as Reid said, "We won't be watering it
down or diluting it, so we asking the church people not to attend. We
are asking people who will easily quiver not to attend. It is an adult
show".

Stressful work

While it is
Reid's first foray as a dancehall promoter, she has put on shows in her
stomping ground of theatre. "I am a very adventurous person, so I tend
to go out of the box. This is totally out of my comfort zone," Reid
said. The Gleaner asks if it is stressful and Reid said "Hello?
Thank God I have some lovely girls working with!" Still, she realises
that there is a value to her physical presence. "When I go down with the
poster people say 'Audrey Reid, yeah man, we love it'."

She has
been involved to the extent of designing the show's poster and directing
the commercial, but she is quick to point out that the promotion has
benefitted from the kindness of several persons who gave their services
free. Among them are Rick Elgood, who directed the televised
advertisement, Andrew Lawrence who did the voice, make-up artist Carol
Reid and photographer Foster. Their support is in addition to a raft of
sponsors.

In a country notorious for tardiness, theatre is one of
the few entertainment sectors that sticks strictly to schedule. Reid has
had to adjust a bit to the late 'dancehall time', but insists that she
will start her 'Ladies of the Night' at the advertised 10 p.m. "Even if
it is not the performances, we will have prizes and giveaways," she
said.

Even ahead of getting her dancehall promoter's toes
officially wet at the end of this month, Reid is planning other events.
"This is what I always wanted to do. I wanted to do promoting, but not
in theatre," she said.