drama• news• media• 2004 Clips Archive... 2005 2004 Current

Cacique Awards…
"we laughing this year"

Monday 12 July 2004

This year's National Drama Association of Trinidad & Tobago's Cacique Awards on 27th July at the Queen's Hall may be eligible for a comedic award itself judging from the lineup of the principal players in this 15 year old ceremony. Their names stand prominently in the genre of local comedy and they are bringing what they do best to the show.

Errol Fabien and Nikki Crosby will host the gala event. The humorous team has an impressive record spanning over a decade. Nikki and Errol, as they are fondly called, co-founded the first comedy calypso tent in Trinidad and Tobago. They now manage the very popular Maljo Kaiso tent during the Carnival season. Nikki, also a radio host, is a Cacique Award winner for her multi-role performance in her amusing one-woman show, Nikki Does. This production earned her awards for Most Outstanding Actress, and Most Outstanding Original Script. She has become known for her dexterity over the years on the comedy circuit and her now annual staple "Nikki on the Promenade" leading up to the Carnival weekend is one of the most popular shows on television at this time. Her partner in comedy, Errol, co-hosts the very popular morning programme "Cock-A-Doodle-Doo" on Gayelle television. Never without a quip, his spontaneity lends itself to a show that is known for its surprises.

Directing this year's show is Christine Johnston director of the recent Baggasse Company production Fools. The Neil Simon comedy played to near full houses at Queen's Hall and at Central Bank. Johnston has sunk her teeth into the comedic art numerous times before, directing or acting in such memorable productions as The Mind with the Dirty Man (1993 production), Key for Two, Will You Still Love Me in the Morning, What the Butler Saw and When the Cat's Away and won the Most Outstanding Director Cacique for her 1996 direction of Fools.

Another fool in the pot is Eric Barry, commissioned to write the script for this year's awards. Barry, co-founder of Tete-A-Tete Theatre, is known for his jest. He wrote the ridiculous sketch comedies Five Foolish Friends in Shhh…it happens and Five Foolish Friends in Shhh…it is Christmas, the latter earning a Cacique Award last year for Most Outstanding Comedic Production.

Producer Helmer Hilwig is tight-lipped on what his team will be serving on the night of the Awards. All that is being offered is that the theme is "Behind the Scene" and he promise that the show is going to be different from the moment patrons walk into the hall. He carefully suggested that the evening will be an exciting and fun experience. "You could say we laughing this year." Hilwig stated, referring to the comic ensemble involved. He continued, "Yes, we do want the show to be very entertaining but don't forget, it is an awards ceremony after all and we have awards to give out." Seventeen awards will be presented on the night including three special awards; the Vanguard Award, Lifetime Award and Caribbean Award.

nikki crosby & errol fabien hosts

The Cacique Awards are a few weeks away. While nominees and attendees fuss over what snazzy outfit to stun the cameras with, Nikki, Errol, Christine, Eric and Helmer are somewhere whipping up the recipe for a show of comic proportions.

Cacique Awards…
"shift this year"

Wednesday 21 July 2004

The 15th edition of the annual pomp and circumstance called the Cacique Awards gets underway later this month with some notable differences, namely the date and location.

The ceremony honouring the achievements of practitioners in the local theatre is normally held on the last Monday of May but this year the curtain rises on the Caciques on Tuesday 27th July. This will be the first time in the history of the Awards that it is being held on a Tuesday.

Monday is traditionally the day allotted to the gala event as it is the dark night (no performances) in the theatre world which accommodates the possibility of a greater attendance to the show. The change to Tuesday is by no means any artistic statement by the National Drama Association of Trinidad & Tobago, producers of the show. It is simply a matter of the theatre houses in Port of Spain being heavily booked and not being in a position to allow the NDATT their space on the traditional days to rehearse and stage the event.

The show also changes location by returning to the theatre where it all began, Queen's Hall. The newly renovated St. Ann's theatre lends itself perfectly to the grandeur and glitter of the evening hosted by Errol Fabien and Nikki Crosby. The script, written by Eric Barry, promises an award show different to any previously done. Christine Johnston directs.

Also being honoured this year with NDATT Awards are Eintou Pearl Springer, the recipient of the Vanguard Awards, Wayne Berkeley, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Ken Corsbie, the recipient of the Caribbean Award.

Tickets for the 15th Cacique Awards are available to the public at Queen's Hall. The Box Office is open daily from 12noon - 6pm. For reservations or information patrons can call 790-8972 or Queen's Hall at 624-1284. Patrons from the west may also call 633-5616.