Bootsie's Comedy Club had a facelift earlier this year, but now it will have weekly comedy showcases to get your laugh on.

Bootsie, a.k.a. Earlwin Wolffe, aims to change the nature of the club from being just another watering hole, to a venue that offers content and in his case comedy from Thursday to Sunday nights.

"I figured that what I would do is to it try to gear the Club towards entertainment, as opposed to just a bar," he said.

"I thought, lets offer some substance, so rather than just having people come by drinking and getting rowdy, let's offer some quality entertainment.

"So I just want to be a little different from every other bar, not taking anything from them you know, but most are not offering anything, it is come and have a drink. So I figured that I would do something different and offer some international entertainment, each week the headliner changes and with us only seating 65, we should do well."

Although Bootsie mentioned only a few of the upcoming acts, he said that they were all either very well known or on the rise.

"All my guys are from P. Diddy's 'Bad Boys of Comedy,' HBO Def Jam, they have all done Carolines on Broadway, the Apollo Comedy Hour, so these are seasoned guys," said the comedian.

"Most of them are either up and coming or they have been around for a long time."

This past weekend, he said there was Dick Gregory the activist/comedian.

He added: "The likes of Paul Mooney has been around for a long time and he is like a legend. He wrote Red Foxx, Good Times, Sanford and Son and he wrote for Richard Pryor's stand up.

"He's looking to come during the weekend of July 16. Then we have Drew Fraser who will be here on the 30th of April. "We will then have the likes of Chris Thomas, who was the Mayor of Rap City years ago, there is also a comedian named Smoky, Freddy Ricks, we have Robbo, AG White, we have a host of comedians coming in.

"It has been 20 years, so most of them I have known for about 15 years and I keep in touch throughout the year via email or cell phone."

During his three-and-a-half years since opening Bootsie's Comedy Club, he has found that there were some unexpected expenses.

"It has been a battle, especially in the light of violence in the clubs, you have to top up on security, so we just figured that we would just change the format and to cut down on some of the expenses and give people some good entertainment," Bootsie said.

During the pilot weekend that featured Mike Yard, he said that he used local comedians Nadanjah Bailey and Climaxx.

They will also be using Jahrizino Simmons and himself, but he admitted to looking for new local acts to either host or to do a guest set.

Regarding his thoughts on the ingredients of a good comic, Bootsie said: "I think a good comedian is someone who is spontaneous, who can make a bad situation good, who can make things relevant and on the top of my list is someone who can bounce back when he has bombed (not had a good set), a good comedian can get back up there the next night and do it all over again."

Bootsie has been in the business since he was 22 years old and this year it makes it two decades since his comedic inception.

"It is funny that you should say that, because this year makes 20 years," he said.

"So in June, I am actually doing a show called "Bootsie Reloaded", which is a one-man show with various different skits and characters that I used to do, which made Bootsie, Bootsie."

He was introduced to comedy by one of the greatest female comediennes of all time.

"Well I was away in college and I didn't want to work hard, believe it or not, and I went to a comedy show with Whoopi Goldberg and she did a series of skits and I thought I can do that, not to take anything away from her," he said.

"And I came back in '89 and I did my first performance that year at CedarBridge Academy (which was then known as Devonshire Academy).

"And then later in the same year, I did my first one man show."

When asked whether he still travelled to perform, the 42-year-old said: "We have a cruise coming up November 21 to December 9 and C Travel is marketing it, but it is called the Caribbean Comedy Cruise. I will perform for three nights.

"But what you will see after June is that I will be pushing a lot more of me, whether it be local or international, so it is almost like back to the basics, so I am going to get out there and start writing some new stuff," he explained.

"I I have two plays that I want to get off the ground and I have a song that I wrote that I have put on the back burner, which is called Gossip, and I want to release that.

"I have a lot of things to do between now and next year."

On his drive and sustained growth, Bootsie said: "I have this dream of a continued success, so that keeps me going and it has been a struggle, but my family keeps me going.

"My daughter inspires me because she is doing her own thing now and she's involved with BMDS (Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society), with dance, ballet, modern and every little thing she tries to get involved in and she is a little reflection of me, although I didn't do dance.

"My eldest son is into the arts in terms of the backstage stuff, lighting and sound. He seems to like that. And then my youngest son plays for the national programme of Soccer Bermuda.

"So my family inspires me."

On whether it was difficult to get the public into his shows, he said: "I think once it gets going it is going to get easier, basically because when you come in, you will get greeted, get seated, we'll have a cocktail waitress to wait on you and then the show starts.

"I think the draw is going to be that every week there will be a different headliner, you will not be coming to see the same show, each week there will be a different artist."

In addition, he will soon have a website www.bootsiescomedyclub.com with up to date listings.

"My thing is and I tell people all the time, it is good to have the tourists or cruise ship people come in, but we bank the business on the locals and if we can get three quarters sold of the four nights then we are good.

"Come on out and support it, if it doesn't work we are going to have to close our doors and get cracking!"

This weekend there is Andrew Fraser and the following weekend is Andrew Garrett a.k.a. AG White.

Shows kick off at 9.30 p.m. and usually last until 11.30 p.m.

There is also a joke contest for those who want to take part.

Tickets $25, are available at Bootsie's Comedy Club, Front Street, Hamilton or by ringing 297-3938.