Bim and Bam was the stage name of the Jamaican comedy double-act Ed Lewis (1914–1976) and Aston Wynter (1913–1978). They made a name for themselves in Jamaica in the 1930s performing at hotels and clubs, initially adopting the
blackface Minstrel show
The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century.
Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...
format of the era. They graduated to creating and performing comedy-dramas scripted by Bim (Lewis) for a cast of twelve actors.
[Martin Banham, Errol Hill, George Woodyard, ''The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre'', Cambridge University Press, 1994, p.204.] Bim later married singer and comedian Hyacinth Clover, sister of
Ken Boothe
Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
. Under the stage-name "Clover" she became a regular member of the troupe. After this they were sometimes billed as "Bim, Bam and Clover".
Their shows were typically structured as a comic courtroom drama, in which the judge would preside over a chaotic inquiry. Various "witnesses" would perform acts nominally related to the supposed investigation into the case, thus creating, in effect, a variety show. Shows they created included ''The Healing of the Bamyard'', ''The Case of the Baldhead Rooster'', ''Rhygin's Ghost'' and ''Laughter in the Court''. Their most popular show was ''The Case of John Ras I''.
Ska musician
Derrick Morgan began his career as a member of their troupe.
Roland Alphonso
Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites.
Biography
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso ...
also toured with them in the 1950s.
The duo and Clover later played straight roles in the 1972 film ''
The Harder They Come
''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world". ...
'', a version of the life of
Rhyging, a notorious Jamaican criminal they had earlier portrayed satirically in ''Rhygin's Ghost''. As "Bim, Bam and Clover" they released a number of comedy records. Bim and Clover also regularly recorded songs together. Their 1975 comic dialogue song "Sweet Heart", an argument between a husband and wife about infidelities, was a popular hit in Jamaica.
[Foster, Chuck, ''Roots Rock Reggae: The Oral History of Reggae Music from Ska to Dancehall'', Crown Publishing Group, 1999, p.24.]
The team toured Jamaica, Bermuda, New York and England.
After their deaths Clover continued to run their production company performing her husband's plays.
References
{{reflist
Jamaican comedians
Jamaican comedy duos
Fictional Jamaican people
Male characters in theatre
Comedy theatre characters