Something for everyone. That's the aim of the Bermuda Festival's 2002 line-up.

While the annual cultural feast has always had a faithful core of supporters, the perception has been growing that it is basically aimed at those with classical tastes in music, dance and theatre, so organisers have made a special effort to appeal to a broader audience, and next year's programme will include events which are trendier and even a little shocking, in addition to the usual favourites.

The Festival will open on January 16, 2002 and close on March 2.

In all there will be 37 performances, the first of which features the Aquila Theatre Company which will present two innovative productions.

The first, Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' - a play inspired by the story of the wreck of the Sea Venture wreck on Bermuda's shores - will take place at City Hall theatre on January 16 and 17.

This will be followed by one performance of 'The Wrath of Achilles' on January 29.

Based on the later books of Homer's 'Iliad,' it will be done in modern dress.

Free, informative pre-performance talks by director Peter Meineck will take place in the Bermuda National Gallery on January 16 and 19.

And on January 18 thirty lucky participants will have an opportunity to participate in an on-stage workshop with the professionals of the Aquila Theatre Company. Early bookings are advised!

Two performances by the renowned South African a capella group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, follow at the Ruth Seaton Centre for the Performing Arts on January 21 and 22.

Founded by Joseph Shabalala and catapulted to fame when they collaborated with Paul Simon on his famous 'Graceland' album, Ladysmith Black Mambazo now has a universal following. Regarded as South Africa's cultural ambassadors, they sang at Nelson Mandela's inauguration.

A week-long series of Chamber Music concerts will bring about a complete change of pace and feature four artists, three of whom will appear in varying combinations. Renowned flutist William Bennett will team up with classical guitarist Simon Wynberg on January 23 for a lunchtime concert in the Bermuda National Gallery featuring works by Schubert, Villa Lobos, Debussy, Massenet and others.

Also on January 23 acclaimed pianist Clifford Benson will give an evening recital at City Hall.

His programme will include works by Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy. On January 24 Messrs. Bennett and Wynberg will be joined by Mr. Benson, this time on harpsichord, for a cocktail hour programme featuring works by Handel, Marais, Ponce, Debussy and Bach at the Bermuda National Gallery.

January 25 marks the final appearance of Messrs. Bennett and Wynberg as a duo, this time at City Hall theatre, where they will perform works by Bartok, Castelnuovo Tedesco,Villa Lobos, Dohnanyi and Piazzolla. At the same location on January 26 the flutist and pianist will team up to present works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Roussel, Bellini and Poulenc, among others.

Next comes comedy. In an unusual departure from traditional Festival fare, comic actor and storyteller Peter Searles will recount hilarious and poignant escapades from his travels in South America during three separate performances at Daylesford Theatre. The first, on January 28, is entitled 'Hey Gringo! Through Peru,' and will take the listener on a roller-coaster ride from the unexplored tributaries of the Amazon, across the Andes, and into the depths of some of the world's most brutal prisons. Stories include a catalogue of close scrapes with all manner of humanity, ranging from monks to drug smugglers and Amazonian Indians. This will be repeated on January 30.

On January 29 his topic will be 'Hey Gringo! A Chile Christmas,' but by all accounts tales of this journey from the scorching wastes of Atacama Desert southward will be far from merry. During his quest for truth and meaning in a land torn apart by years of military dictatorship, Searles is accompanied by a melting pot of characters including oversexed train drivers, unemployed actors and Marxist priests.

February kicks off with jazz lovers in mind when Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander explores the roots of jazz and reggae in two different performances. The first, on February 1, will find the Monty Alexander Trio presenting its "America" programme. Mr. Alexander will be joined by Hassan Shakur on contrabass and Mark Taylor on drums as they feature the music of Duke Ellington and other Classic Jazz masters.

The following night the trio will be joined by Derek DiCenzo on guitar and steel drums to present 'Goin' Yard,' - music with a Jamaican flavour. Both shows will be at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts.

The same venue will be used on February 4 and 5 for performances by the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, directed by John Meehan. This small classical company is a stepping stone to the famed American Ballet Theatre for hand-picked young dancers of outstanding talent, and 12 of them will be travelling to Bermuda.

Outstanding young professional musicians will return to Bermuda to join faculty members of The Bermuda School of Music (BSM) and the Menuhin Foundation augmented by advanced students, to present a wonderful programme of orchestral music at City Hall theatre on February 6 and 7. John York-Skinner and Mark Dorrell of the Bermuda School of Music will each conduct the orchestra and soloists in a concert unprecedented for its combination of Bermuda's best talent. The programme will include Vivaldi's 'Concerto for Two Trumpets and String Orchestra;' Rodrigo's 'Concierto di. Aranjuez' with guitarist Stephen Crawford as the soloist; Bernstein's 'Candide Overture,' and Prokofiev's 'Classical Symphony.' There will also be a new work for mezzo-soprano, baritone and chamber ensemble composed by BSM teacher Tatiana Dran.

Only the Mid-Ocean Amphitheatre of the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel will do for the highly popular Black Dyke Band from Yorkshire, which is making a return visit to the Festival to give two eclectic concerts of riveting and infections music on February 8 and 9. Pre-show dinner and hotel packages are being offered by the hotel, who will handle those reservations.

If rags, tangos and waltzes are your fancy, then pianist Joshua Rifkin is your man! His one-night performance on February 11 will explore the expressive world of American ragtime master Scott Joplin, and his Brazilian contemporary, Ernesto Nazareth - a world delicately poised between exuberance and melancholy. And yes, 'The Sting' and 'Maple Leaf Rag' are included.

February 12 and 13 will see the versatile Mr. Rifkin return to City Hall theatre, this time as director of The Bach Ensemble. This outstanding ensemble will feature Julianne Baird as soloist, and the all-Bach programme will include overtures, concertos, and cantatas.

Five dazzling performances by The New Shanghai Circus are next. Their thrilling programme of contortionism, acrobatic feats, juggling and dragon dancing appeals to all ages, and is certain to be an unforgettable family event. There will be three evening performances on February 14 (an exciting way to spend Valentine's), 15 and 17. Two matinee performances are scheduled for February 16 and 17. Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts is the venue.

Donald Byrd, artistic director and choreographer of Donald Byrd/The Group, has developed a distinctly American style in his integration of black vernacular dancing with classical ballet and modern techniques. Much of his choreography reflects the current times: fast, charged and direct. Performances on February 21, 22 and 23 at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts will include his full-length piece, 'In a Different Light: Duke Ellington'.

Theatre at City Hall not only opens the Festival but closes it. This time the award-winning play, 'Art,' written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, is the chosen work. A Bermuda Festival Production in conjunction with the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society, it will be directed by Mark Mollica and have well-known local actors Richard Fell, Nigel Kermode and Gavin Wilson as its cast.

The play, described as a dark comedy, was acclaimed on Broadway and in London, and centres around the purchase of a painting. It examines the developing relationship of three long-standing friends. Warning! the play contains strong language. Following the closing night performance a gala reception will include an auction of the featured painting in the play with part proceeds being donated to the Bermuda National Gallery, the Bermuda Society of Arts, and the Masterworks Foundation.

Ticket prices have risen. With few exceptions they are now $35. Student prices range from free to $20.

Despite this, and the after effects of events in the United States, the Bermuda Festival is optimistic that its 2002 programme will be a success, with full support coming from the local community and others.

Advance reservation brochures will be mailed shortly. For further information visit the Festival website at www.bermudafestival.com. Tickets can be purchased on the Internet, and for the first time customers will also be able to indicate their seating preference. Enquiries can be directed to bdafestibl.bm or telephone the Festival office at 295-1291.