‘Bacchanalist’ behaviour fills Choo Kong comedy

It was full of laughter, full of colour and it was fun. Why Did I Get Married Trini Style saw a packed auditorium at Naparima Bowl in San Fernando. Playwright Raymond Choo Kong had the members of the audience literally falling out of their seats as he transformed Tyler Perry’s drama movie into a comedic local play. The play highlighted the difficulties faced by four married couples, in an effort to maintain faithful relationships. The couples, all friends, went on a vacation in Charlotteville, Tobago. But tensions mounted as infidelity and betrayal came to the fore, raising the question, Why did I get married?
Fraught with picong and attitude, the character Angela, played by Abeo Jackson, seemed to be most favoured by the audience. She represented a type of Trinidadian who could be found in most places. She was what could be classified as a “bacchanalist”  and drunkard.

She constantly argued with her husband Marcus (Arnold Goindhan), who appeared a bit fearful of her.
Choo Kong took on the character of Mike, who was blatantly unfaithful to his loving wife Sheila (Rachel Bascombe). He badgered her about her weight, and eventually left with her single friend Trina (Carnella Barkley). The relationship of Patricia and Garvin (Caroline Taylor and Mark Nottingham) was wounded when Patricia found out that her husband blamed her for the death of their son, Noah.  Dianne and Terry (Jeanine Lee Kim and Kearn Samuel) almost got divorced on the grounds of Terry being upset at being ignored. They frequently argued that Dianne’s job hindered her from her being a good wife. Terry had patrons in stitches with his view that the best way to divorce a woman was via a text message. “I am divorcing u lol :),” his message read.  The show ran for three nights and ended last Sunday.