As the Island prepares for the Queen's visit next month, another queen is about to grace us with her presence.

Self-styled royalty Sybil Barrington, aka the Queen of Bermuda, is preparing to dazzle with her dynamic female impersonators next weekend.

The event promises to be a sequin spectacular with performances from some of the biggest divas of the past few decades.

There are still tickets available for the City Hall Theatre show, which performer Mark Anderson says is in the best tradition of Bermuda's drag entertainers.

Mr. Anderson, who works as a bus driver when he is not dressing up as Sybil, says his show has a universal appeal.

"Whether you are gay or straight, the stage was meant for people to tell their story and it brings people from all walks of life together," he says.

During next Saturday's show his seventh in six years, he will portray a range of celebrity female artists.

"We improvise all the women we love and adore and idolise. All I know is it's going to be fabulous," he says.

Mr. Anderson says drag acts have been a feature of entertainment in Bermuda since the Kindley US Air Force base and Golden Hind shows of the late 1950s.

Among his predecessors, he names the 'Duchess of Devonshire', 'Miss World', 'Lady Gilda' and 'Miss Mahogany'.

"I am just carrying on the tradition from the legendary performers before me," says Mr. Anderson.

"My show has always been a tasteful act, and there is a lot of comedy involved. Even the men know it's a tasteful show and they know they get brownie points if they bring their girlfriends.

"Even the single guys are starting to show an interest these days as they realise it is the best place to meet classy women. I bring them out.

"My show is all about love and laughter, and I make people feel as though they are right in my living room."

Mr. Anderson will also be joined this year by R&B/soul singer Meli'sa Morgan. Ms Morgan, from Queens, New York, had a string of house hits in the 1980s and 1990s, such as 'Do Me Baby', 'Fool's Paradise' and 'Love Changes'.

"She just got back from Vegas and is old-skool dance party. Most Bermudians know her and she is one of my good girlfriends," says Mr. Anderson.

"I want people to get dressed up for the show but don't be late, because I torture you if you come late."

Next month Mr. Anderson is to feature in '100 of the Most Influential Gay Entertainers', a book by Atlanta writer Jenettha Baines. The publication promises to be "a backstage pass into the intimate details of the lives of some of the world's most influential gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and inter-sexed entertainers".

It details their fears, motivations, the risks taken and their struggles to succeed in the competitive world of GLBT entertainment.

A statement from Seven Stages Publishing House says: "These entertainers are locally appreciated, nationally known and world-travelled. They have performed everywhere from small smoke-filled clubs to Las Vegas stages.

"Their impact on the GLBT communities in the United States and around the world is immeasurable."

Tickets for Sybil's Dynamic International Female Impersonators are $65, available from www.bdatix.bm or Shannon's Boutique at 292 5349.

The show takes place at the City Hall Theatre next Saturday, October 24, at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m..