Playwright and screenwriter Paul O. Beale has died

The local theatre world has been sent reeling with the sudden death of well-known playwright and screenwriter, Paul O. Beale, who passed away last Friday night of a suspected heart attack.

Beale was well-known, especially as the pen behind the beloved, outlandish, black-face character Delcita Coldwater. With numerous re-introductions into other productions, and an even attempt to make it to the silver-screen, theatre-goers were undoubtedly entranced and consistently entertained by the raucous expressions and sprawling stance of Beale's frequently revisited character.

As the adage goes, 'write what you know', fans and fellow thespians like Gerry McDaniel, will share that Beale 'bore uncensored witness to the layers of Jamaican society'.

"My only direct contact with Paul was when a mutual friend, also in media, suggested I audition for a play that he had written. It's funny how you make assumptions based on someone's work or public profile, because what I encountered that afternoon reminded me why that's a dangerous practice," McDaniel told The Gleaner.

"He was clearly plugged in to every nuance, and with the writing skill to convey it in pungent language wrapped around intriguing plots. Him neva nawmal. That audition? No, I did not make the cut. My introversion and natural reticence was not a good fit. However, one encounter, that's all it took for me to join his cheerleading team. While his material was raw and deliciously Jamaican, his demeanour reminded me of an attentive teacher and coach. It as almost surreal to utter the words on the script and align them with Paul's persona," he continued.

Penning plays like 'A Me Rule', 'Unda Mi Nose', 'Maama Man', 'Granny Rule' and the 'Bashment Granny' series, Beale's work cemented him as a vibrant contributor to the Jamaica's colourful tapestry of everlasting personalities. McDaniel added: "[Beale] supplied volumes of material in a steady flow, each piece poignant, relevant and typically box office successes."

At the time of his passing, Beale was steady at the wheel working on two new plays, 'Rasta Wedding Proposal' and 'Melcita and the Plummer'. He was 57 years old.

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