Hoist the mainsail and lay about on a course in for the Wharf, we dock at Cavans’ Lane and dry-dock for supplies… Last night was the debut at Cavans Lane at the Limelight Cafe of their Cabaret show that is close-up and personal! Hosted by Margaret Allman-Goddard, a long-time veteran of such shows, the treatment of the whole gala was that the stage is a time machine looking at the Caribbean from its early days with Caribs out on a raiding party; and concluding with an exciting stick-licking match!

In the next segment, they dealt with how pirates of the Caribbean originally came from all over the world and from all walks of life – the cast mimicked the dull drudgery of a galley crew rowing over the azure waters, then the cast took a comical view at the grogging and wenching days of a pirate’s land-life set to a lively tune reminiscent of an old-time animated feature…

Margaret then reminded the audience how Barbados didn’t use to sell bread on a shelf – it came from a basket carried by a lady hawking her goods while on her way to market, also, for the tourists who love a laugh – there are lively antics from a Green Monkey and the Shaggy Bear!

Then there there were some Matrix like acrobatics as patrons were given a taste of how it can be in the Caribbean of the Future; from future they slipped back into the present… With a grand finale of combining a dance segment of popular Caribbean tunes that made the charts overseas and a look at Crop Over as it is now.

This event was combined with a sumptuous dinner & dessert beforehand and a concert afterwards with Shane Forrester and the IOP band (Instruments of Praise) who are not your typical hotel-circuit group of performers – they do original tunes as well as cover top songs from different genres… Alas, all good things came to an end about eleven or so – but if I was a visitor and getting the dinner show and dancing plus transportation to and from this venue? I would make sure to see it each Thursday that I wenched in Barbados, uh, I mean vacationed me hearty, arrgh – ya land-lubber you!