The Wreck Shop Brings Back Big ComedyImage Entertainment’s first international comedy competition, Wreck Shop, was a spectacularly well-conceived and delivered event.The only unfortunate detail of the entire affair was that Ruth Seaton James Auditorium was sparsely populated with an audience of fewer than 100 people on Sunday evening.The show was a downright gut-busting, top-of-the-line, all-out adult comedy show; the kind of stand-up comedy show that you see on cable TV all the time. The kind of stand-up comedy show that is invariably sold out, and more than worthy of the audience. I mean this was a very, very funny show.The format of the competition was explained early on by the host and mastermind behind the contest, Nadanja Bailey. Five comedians would have 15 minutes to deliver their material to the crowd, and then a winner would be chosen based on crowd response at the end of the show. The winner of this show would then gain automatic entry into the champion-of-champions competition to be held later this year.With all that explained, the show began in earnest with veteran funny lady Alycia Cooper. Ms Cooper was instantly fabulous, delivering quality material with a laid-back, familial charm that endeared her to the crowd like a dear old friend. She poked fun at the exorbitant prices in Bermuda, being over 40, no-talent Hollywood stars, being a black woman, Mitt Romney, car insurance versus health insurance, and spoiled children, with a sharp observational wit and a down-home magnetism that practically forced us to laugh with her; very funny stuff!Lawrence Killebrew was the next contestant to take the stage. He employed a high-energy, frenetic style of comedy to great effect, extracting enthusiastic laughter from the crowd early and often. He poked fun at Bermuda’s large wild chicken population, snoring, outie belly buttons, relationships, and growing up with a single father who had no friends. Mr Killebrew’s set was brisk and brilliant, delivering laughs-a-plenty, and making it clear that this was an uncommonly good comedy show.The third contestant was my personal favourite. New Jersey native Derek Gaines used hilarious observational humour, top-notch performance poetry, and quite impressive beat-boxing skills to deliver a spectacular 15-minute set.Mr Gaines described his experience coming through Customs, told us why Bermudians are sometimes “too nice”, poked fun at his fat cousin Lewis, explained why thugs can never enjoy anything (“Thugs can’t drink peach tea; peach tea is refreshing!” — line of the night!), and illustrated the difference between audience expectations of white performers and black performers. His weird and wonderful poem about a gangster breakfast, and a stunning beat-box riff enhanced his comedy, making his the most memorable set of the night for me.Nadanja described the next comedian as the only “different” contestant of the night; basically pointing out that he was a white guy. Richie Redding indeed was a white guy, and a very funny white guy at that! He delivered a goofy set, full of nostalgia, indecent proposals, and rampant political incorrectness. He made outrageously insensitive observations based on race, openly mocked the crowd, used culturally provocative slang, and took self-deprecation to a new level in his raucous 15-minute set. The crowd absolutely adored him. He was fearless, vulnerable, and charming throughout his set, thoroughly winning the crowd over with a decidedly daring brand of comedy.The last comic to take the stage was Damon Rozier. Mr Rozier, a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, clowned facilities with no wheelchair access, explained why he hates beautiful women, exposed his trifling family, celebrated the advantages of being bound to a wheelchair, and described his numerous and peculiar experiences while drunk. He was funny, endearing, and inspiring all at once, and the audience rewarded him with massive support throughout his set and during the final voting portion of the show.Speaking of which, the five acts were brought back to the stage after all the sets were done and the audience was asked to applaud or make noise for their favourite when their respective name was called. Richie Redding won the audience vote. It wasn’t really close in the end. He will be back to compete against the next few winners in the grand finale.The Wreck Shop International Comedy Competition is the brainchild of Nadanja Bailey and the Image Entertainment Team, and is an awesome event. A show of this calibre had every right to be sold out, and the patrons who were at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium were more than satisfied with the show they witnessed. If you are a comedy lover of any consequence, then you simply must make every effort to get to the next show in this wonderful series.The next show will be on August 11, and the winner of that one will join Mr Redding in the series finale in November. This is world-class comedy Bermuda; you got to support it, or lose it! Please, let’s not lose it.