Oliver Samuels - file

February's Artiste of the Month feature takes an unusual turn. This month, instead of featuring one artiste, we dedicate the month to some persons in entertainment who are making 'black history' right now. The STAR will feature, over the coming weeks, persons who have a lot to say about why we should, or should not, celebrate Black History, and what it means to them.

Oliver Samuels was, for many years, knows as 'Mr. Pantomime', performing lead roles in LTM Pantomimes such as Music Boy, Dickance for Fippance, The Witch and several others.

He worked with most of Jamaica's top writers, producers and directors in productions such as:

Trevor Rhone's School Out.

Carter Gambrill's All That Glitters.

The National Theatre Trust's School for Scandal.

Ed Wallace Productions showing of Pat Cumper's The Rapist.

The Company Limited's production of Derrick Walcott's Pantomime, for which be shared the best actor title with Tony Hendriks.

Oliver also worked with overseas-based producers such as We Are One Theatre Company of Canada for whom he did two major productions: Neil Simon's "Odd Couple" and Mustapha Latura's "Playboy of the West Indies".

The chapter of local theatrical history he has been writing on the small screen of television, both locally and overseas, is just as impressive.

The Small Screen

His first showing on television was actually overseas, when he appeared in 1974, four years after his journey from St. Mary to Kingston, in the BBC Television series The Fight Against Slavery.

Oliver collaborated on another BBC Television production in the mid-1980s when he appeared in the production My Father Son Son Johnson and made another BBC TV connection in 1994, appearing as Gareth's father in two episodes of the production Chef. He followed this up four years later, or early in 1998, with appearances in three episodes of Brothers and Sisters.

The late 1980s into the 1990s is when Oliver Samuels could be said to have come fully into his own in terms of the small screen, with appearances in TV productions such as Oliver and Oliver at Large - the two TV series in which he appeared as himself and Sarge in Charge, in which he played the title role.

Going to Extremes- the Lorimar TV series in which he played the role of Winston.

Great Moments in Aviation- for which the US video title was Shades of Fear.

In the local television series Royal Palm Estates and Traxx - appearing in both in the role of Son-Son.

The Big Screen

He first took his talent to the Big Screen in 1982 when he appeared as 'Pillion' in the Jamaican film Countryman and made a further mark in the world of film when he performed the role of Rupert in the film The Mighty Quinn.