He cut his director's teeth on small productions, but tonight marks two milestones for Jim Brier: his full-length directorial debut and the fulfilment of a personal ambition.

Mr. Brier is directing Ray Bradbury's play 'Fahrenheit 451' which is being presented by the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society (BMDS) at the Daylesford Theatre tonight.

A member of the BMDS for years, Mr. Brier has been as happy in the technical booth as he is on the stage, but in the last few years, in addition to tackling sound design and performing in numerous productions, he has turned his hand to directing.

Having 'cut his teeth' on several smaller productions, 'Fahrenheit 451' represents his debut as the director of a major full-length production for BMDS.

Mr. Brier said: "If you mention the title people either know it, love it or they've never heard of it," he said. "There is no sort of in between."

His relationship with 'Fahrenheit 451' spans most of his life. "I first read the novel 30-something years ago and loved it ever since.

"I guess it was about five or six years ago when I became interested in directing and began hunting around for scripts and '451' was one of them that I found at that time."

Many people regard the book as science fiction, but Mr. Brier said: "Ray Bradbury himself denies that it is science fiction. It is not about technology, it is about people, their relationships with each other, what's important to them and how they change. In many ways it takes in a lot of social commentary as well."

The story follows a world in which the literate become enemies of the State. "Essentially it is set in this futuristic dystopia where reading books is illegal," Mr. Brier added.

"The role of the fire service has evolved from one of putting out fires to one of burning books. They are almost like the police and enforcers of this no reading rule.

"It follows our hero Guy Montag, played by Doug Jones, who has been a fireman for ten years and it is a very boring society in the sense that people live very ordered, samey lives, but one day for some reason he just starts questioning things.

"He meets his 16-year-old neighbour Clarisse McClellan, played by Amber Wilson. She just has this different outlook on life and he is completely intrigued, one thing leads to another and sooner or later, the fireman, the book burner, is reading books. And where do we go from there?

"Inevitably the authority figure is completely at odds with the authority he stands for and even once he has started down that slippery slope he still clings to his authority at times. People fear the fireman, it's a position that commands fear and respect."

The cast members are Doug Jones, as Guy Montag, Kristen Darrell, as Fireman Black, Tim Morgan, playing Fireman Holden, Ben Winfield, as Fire Chief Beatty, Paul Maccoy, who is Paramedic 1, Amber Wilson, acting as Clarisse, Dmitri Delibazoglo, as Paramedic 2, Natalie Pereech, as Mildred Montag, Sheilagh Robertson, in the role of Mrs. Hudson, Alan Brooks, is C.R. Faber (Clarisse's Grandfather), Claire Nicholls, who is Alice (the Montag's neighbour) and Emma Muggleton, playing Helen (Mildred's friend).

Daylesford Theatre Box Office is open on performance nights from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Telephone bookings 292-0848. Tickets $25, are available online at www.bmds.bm outside box office hours. Curtain is at 8 p.m. The play is on until July 9.