it opens a 33-week season in the Palm Court Club of the Sonesta Beach Hotel on April 5.

Comedy Club president Mr. Peter Petty says that his company will be showcasing some of Bermuda's finest talent and sees the contract with Sonesta as a heartening sign of that hotel's belief in the abilities and talent of local performers.

Mr. Anthony Santucci, Food and Beverage director at the hotel, confirms that his company is "fully committed'' to encouraging local talent, a concept, he says, that has always been part of Sonesta's policy.

"We are committed to excellence and we believe that the Comedy Club show is of a calibre to attract an international audience. Last year we had Electronic Symphony and now they've gone off to do recording work. We have to change entertainment from time to time, so that we can continue to meet changing demands and to keep our guests entertained and happy.'' Mr. Santucci believes that a show that combines comedy ("laughter is universal'') with the music and spectacle of a limbo show, to say nothing of audience participation with the laser karaoke section, is bound to appeal to visitors and locals.

Hosting the show six nights a week will be Bootsie, Bermuda's top stand-up comic, along with Bruce Barritt, of Not the Um Um Show and radio voice-over fame, and Stuart Doyle, who used his background as a professional speaker to great effect when he entered the world of comedy.

Guest artist Paul Wildbaum, who will top the bill throughout the season, is a stand-up comedian who combines his talents as a mime to produce a show of comedy, visual theatre and audience participation that is refreshingly different.

Described as "a compelling performer who combines the sublime with the ridiculous'' his characters include Hamlet as a drunk, the TV addict sucked into the set, and a baby unsure about being born. And he even presents a "spaghetti'' western in which the audience play essential roles.

Born in Toronto, Mr. Wildbaum has represented Canada all over the world at such prestigious events as the Edinburgh Festival, The International Comedy Festival in Melbourne, the World Theatre Festival of Poland, and the Macao Arts Festival.

He has starred in the Montreal Comedy Festival and has appeared in cabarets and nightclubs throughout Canada, the US, London and Hong Kong. His TV credits include the Australian comedy series, The Big Gig and Bizarre on HBO.

Fluent in sign language, Paul Wildbaum wrote and directed "Moments Unmasked'' for the Canadian Theatre of the Deaf as well as directing children's shows.

Other local acts include King Pedro, billed as "the undisputed King of Limbo', who has over 23 years experience as a dancer, performer and story teller. His partner is well-known dancer, Carol-Ann Daniels.

For Peter Petty, the road to the top has not always been easy. "But now we are seeing the fruits of our collective labour as a Bermudian entertainment company. A belief in Bermudian performers -- and their belief in me -- has kept us going. We are all very excited about the coming season.'' UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT -- Limbo dancers King Pedro and Carol-Ann Daniels will feature in the Bermuda Comedy Club's Island Party at the Sonesta Beach Hotel this season.