Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Harvard University. City Hall, Hamilton, Wednesday to Monday, excluding Sunday. 8 p.m.

*** Star Trek was never like this -- for the Harvard University Hasty Pudding Theatricals has launched itself into the third millennium for its 149th production.

And Me and My Galaxy boldly goes where no man has gone before -- certainly not wearing ladies' clothes and makeup, anyway. Well, not in public, at least.

For Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club have brought this year's production from Boston to Bermuda -- and it's a whacky trip to the outer limits of comedy.

And if anyone doubts that intelligent life exists on other planets -- well, they're probably right, based on this evidence.

For the talented crew of Me and My Galaxy -- supported by specially-brought in behind-the-scenes professionals -- have assembled a cast of characters including the crew of the Interplanetary Cruiser Uranus, I.C. Uranus, if you see what I mean, led by Captain Anteneel and First Officer Jed Eyenite.

The I.C. Uranus is tasked with seeking out new life forms discovered on Planet Alpha Cryinoutloud.

But when mission control's Barry Cuda plants mole Irma Geddon on the ship to take control of computer Mike Rosoft and hold the I.C. Uranus to ransom, the humour enters what might be called warped factor 10.

Final year economics student Jason Sobol, co-producer of this year's show, said: "It's out of this world.

"Sorry about the pun, but that's the best way you can describe it.'' Yes, well. It's a bit late to apologise for puns if the cast of characters is anything to go by, but you can't doubt his enthusiasm.

Sobol added that the highly-successful basic ingredients of the pudding don't change much.

He said: "It's always a musical comedy with men in drag and great jokes. It that sense, nothing changes -- but every year we try to make it a little bigger and better.'' Bigger and better this year includes $40,000 worth of stunning space-age costumes, including robots, a six-foot tall egg and a giant eye.

The show has already run in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for 40 performances and been seen in New York.

Sobol said: "We have got rave reviews from every critic -- it's been called one of the best Pudding shows in living memory.'' Technical director and computer science student Mark Risher is in charge of logistics for what must be one of the most elaborate and best-funded student shows in the world.

He said: "It's an enormous undertaking -- there are 800 kilograms of set and costumes. It's a substantial undertaking and we only had one-and-a-half days to get it organised and on its way to Bermuda.'' Tour manager Hayle Chan, a third year economics student, added: "We've also got to get 60 people to another country -- which always causes problems.

"My biggest nightmare is that somebody's going to forget a passport or something.'' But the near-the-bone high camp humour of the hit show is expected to travel well to Bermuda -- itself widely regarded as another world.

Chan said: "We are a serious group of kids with a sense of humour who look to play off a more serious environment. Harvard can be a bit of a humourless organisation.'' Risher added: "We do like to make audiences blush -- and it's exactly that type of conservative audience which appreciates the Pudding. They come to escape and hear people say the kind of things they would never want to say.

"But it's all in jest -- if people come with the right attitude and expect a real farce and to get shocked out of their seats, they'll have a great time.'' The latest production may be set in the third millennium -- but the Hasty Pudding Club is firmly rooted in the past as the Pudding, as it members call it, has been coming to Bermuda for 30 years.

But the origins date back to 1795 when the Hasty Pudding Club was founded by 20-odd -- given the way it developed, very odd -- undergraduates.

The members of the then-secret club -- secret as theatricals were frowned upon by the literally Puritanical New England -- agreed to honour George Washington's birthday.

And provide a pot of hasty pudding for meetings on an alphabetical basis, hence the name.

The club's reviews were born out of kangaroo courts designed to keep unruly members in order. From these "alligators'' came the first theatrical event in 1884, a spoof of a popular musical of the day.

The first completely student-written shows took place in the mid-1860s and the troupe has gone from strength to strength ever since.