his company has cost Bermudian entertainers their jobs.

Earlier this week the Bermuda Federation of Musicians and Variety Artists vowed to take to the streets on Thursday to protest immigration policies which allow non-Bermudians like Greg Thompson and Jimmy Keyes to perform in Bermuda.

But Mr. Thompson countered yesterday saying that there are only six non-Bermudian performers in the Follies show in contrast to the more than 30 Bermudian support staff.

And the Follies boss claimed the show contributes a large amount of money into Bermuda's economy. "The Follies pump about $100,000 into the Bermuda economy each week, and at the end of a 26-week run, the figure is almost $3 million,'' said Mr. Thompson adding that a Bermudian band has been hired, and following the turning of the Southampton Princess' Empire Room into a Conference Centre, the Follies tried to find jobs for the people made redundant by the hotel.

"We tried to pick up the people who lost their jobs at the Princess,'' Mr.

Thompson said. "And we found jobs for about 30 of them.'' In response to criticism that the show itself didn't employ any Bermudian entertainers, Mr. Thompson said: "We have tried to employ Bermudian dancers for the last eight years. But most Bermudians have not been eager to work every night, nor did they want to be tied down. We need to find Bermudian dancers who want to work full-time as professional dancers.'' And in addition to entertainment, the Bermuda Follies have launched a scheme to help young Bermudian entertainers get training abroad.

Working with Hubert Smith, they will be staging the "Hubert Smith/Follies Young Entertainer Award. Mr. Thompson said that the scholarship money would be used to educate local talent overseas, as Mr. Smith has been doing for several years under the auspices of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

"Eventually we want to have competitions to pick scholarship winners. We hope that, in partnership with Hubert Smith, we can provide the opportunity for local talent to go overseas for training,'' Mr. Thompson said.

In order to provide money for this scholarship fund, Mr. Smith will be launching an as yet untitled album, featuring his songs and music, that will be sold at the Follies shows.

The Follies will be performing two nightly shows at the Palm Reef Hotel, one at 8:30 and the second at 10:30. Tickets are available for the show only, as well as a show/dinner package. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at 3:00 there will be a Follies show and Rum Swizzle Party -- out on the hotel terrace, which used to function as an outdoor theatre many years ago.

"If anyone is looking for Las Vegas or Broadway, this is not the case,'' Mr.

Thompson said. "We will be following the `Bermuda Concept', in which we will offer Bermuda history, music, and other uniquely Bermudian experiences that will be seen as authentic.''