Flexxing With Ity and Fancy Cat
The duo, Ity and Fancy Cat, rose to the pinnacle of Jamaican stand-up comedy last year, when their locally aired TV show, The Ity and Fancy Cat Show, catapulted to prime time entertainment.
Since then, Ity (Ian Ellis) and Fancy Cat (Arton Hardware), have continued to regale the Jamaican audience with their wit and original drama.
On last season’s show, they satirised some of Jamaica’s most pressing social and political issues. These refreshing and clean parodies were undoubtedly relished by local and international audience. With a new season of the show pending, Ity and Fancy Cat promise to maintain their infectious humour and deliver intense entertainment. “The only big difference in this season’s show will be the location. Most of the shoots will be done on the Edna Manley College campus because of the space and the studio-theatre there,” Ity and Fancy Cat revealed during their recent visit with TEENage.
The duo admitted that it took them some time to establish themselves as ‘real’ comedians in the business. Both grew up in the volatile Trench Town community in Kingston, where they started working with popular comedian ‘Blakka’ Ellis. Fancy Cat stated that although his initial career interest was deejaying, with time he discovered his niche in comedy.
After years of producing and delivering live comedy, Michael Williams, a close associate, introduced them to stand-up comedy in 2006. They admit that although it was a challenging feat, making the transition from live comedy to their structured stand-up episodes on TV, they are delighted with the outcome. In fact, Ity — who earned his name because of his love for “ital” food –stated that he anticipates the day when Jamaica’s National Stadium will be full to capacity with an audience ready for stand-up comedy entertainment. They are also looking forward to performing with popular international comedians like Martin Lawrence and Cedric The Entertainer.
Be sure to look out for their locally produced show Tick Tock, which will be premiered April 29, 2010 at the Theatre Place in New Kingston.