Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

Grief, sorrow and anger are the prevailing emotions in T&T following the death of veteran theatre practitioner Raymond Choo Kong. Choo Kong, who would have been 70 on August 5, was found dead at his Arima home on July 15.

Choo Kong was an award winning producer, director, and actor who founded the well-known company Raymond Choo Kong Productions, which has been changing the landscape of Trinidad’s theatre through comedy for the past 40 years. Choo Kong has received a total of 18 Cacique Awards from all categories, making him the holder of the most Cacique Awards.

Choo Kong has directed large musicals such as ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘The King and I’, and ‘Mahalia: A Gospel Musical’, for First Instinct Productions and JCS Entertainment. He also worked on projects in Best Village, commercial theatre, TTW with Dereck Walcott, films, commercials, band launches and many more.

National Drama Association of T&T (NDATT) Secretary, Safa Niamat-Ali, said “The NDATT mourns the loss of one of our most talented and celebrated theatre practitioners. Words are always difficult to come by when a life is lost tragically. Raymond has changed the theatrical landscape of T&T and offered a platform for many a budding career. Many of today’s leading talents had a Raymond Choo Kong Production as part of their journey. We extend our sincerest condolences to Raymond’s family, friends and fraternity at this time.”

Veteran actor Michael Cherrie said Choo Kong believed in the work of all artists and practitioners in the field. “He worked hard for unity in our profession and the end of our divisions. He went to UWI’s DCFA productions, UTT’s APA productions, Necessary Arts’ productions, TTW’s, Big Black Box’s because he believed in the continuation and progression of the discipline. He believed in what theatre could do for this place and how it can affect young people for the better because, at one time, he was one of those young people under Helen Camps. He gave back to his community by also being a great teacher and mentor for continuing generations under his watch.”

Choo Kong was also a member of the LGBTQI community, and proudly marched in 2018’s Pride Parade. The Silver Lining Foundation, an NGO which focuses on LGBTQI+ youth, expressed a profound sense of sadness and deep sorrow over Choo Kong’s passing. Chief Administrative Officer Kennedy Everett Maraj said “It was only one year ago that Raymond treated us to an emotional and gut-wrenching monologue from his 1984 play, “Norman, Is That You?” – the story of a father struggling to come to terms with the discovery of his homosexual son – at a Pride event, which borrowed the name of our Stronger Families project. The reading and panel discussion served as another platform to push for the provision of support for parents coming to terms with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. To us in the LGBTQ+ community, he was simply a hero and inspiration.”

Maraj commended Choo Kong for his decision to be open about his sexual orientation during the march. “We saw Raymond bravely walk that final “five per cent” that has held back so many others from living their truth and not having to apologize for it. SLF would like to thank Raymond for his courage to walk that final five per cent and for recognising the young people who gave him the courage to do so.”

Writer and singer Caroline Taylor said “this space will be so much darker without Raymond’s humour, his outstanding talent, his generosity with his time and expertise, his courage, and his special, irredeemable and irrepressible brand of watlessness. He was larger than life. His legacy will be larger than death.”

Spoken word poet Kyle Hernandez said “ I spent a lot of my time trying to impress him when all he cared about was the work. He showed me it was possible to be intelligent and raucous at the same time, and how to think like a business mogul and still stay true to the craft. One of the last things Raymond said to me was, “Let’s make sure we do this right so they will have no choice but to hire us again. Thank you for teaching me, thank you for clearing a path.”

Various organisations such as the Bocas Lit Fest, the National Dance Association of T&T, Fixerfilm Studios, Playwrights Workshop Trinbago, Queen’s Hall, The Trinidad Theatre Workshop, the Little Carib Theatre, and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture, and the Arts, also expressed their sorrow at the passing of Raymond Choo Kong.