work closer with professional American theatre performers, is a step closer to becoming a reality.

Mrs. Iva Peele and Ms Patricia Pogson are spearheading this move and they have organised the Bermuda In Broadway show at the Dockyard on October 21 to showcase Bermudian and American professional talent.

At the Hamilton Lions luncheon last week Mrs. Peele outlined the plans for the event. Among the featured performers are a group called Two Island Productions.

"I first moved here three years ago and I was amazed and delighted with the level of talent in Bermuda,'' Mrs. Peele said. "The people who work here in theatre are incredible and it's all amateur. It's unusual to have such tremendous amateur theatre, so I wondered how (Bermudians) would do working with professionals in a neutral platform outside of their own groups.'' Mrs. Peele said she was introduced to Ms Pogson who had similar ideas of expanding and improving the arts locally. "Like life, theatre is a collaboration,'' she said. "It is the one art that cannot work without collaboration. The one thing I decided that I could do to give back to Bermuda is to bring professional actors to work in Bermuda in collaboration with the people who are working here.'' This led, she said, to the formation of Two Island Productions, a non-profit group of actors, writers, singers and directors who have one goal which is the development of Bermudian theatre. "We also decided to give a scholarship to a Bermudian student who wanted to continue their education in the performing arts.'' And the money raised from the show at Dockyard would go towards creating the scholarship.

The show will involve six top Broadway singers and six Bermudians who will all sing a Broadway Review.

Ms Pogson said it was important for Mrs. Peele's work to be supported. "We have finally got a concept that could provide some kind of neutral ground for the artists that are working in Bermuda.'' SING IT LOUD -- Two Islands Production members Mr. Wayne Holt, Ms Beverley Crick, Ms Misha Wade, Mr. Colin Godwin, Ms Ginea Edwards and James Burn, on the piano, performed at the Lions Club luncheon last week.