professional local theatre a step nearer when her season of cocktail theatre opens at the Princess Hotel next month.

Ms Patricia Pogson and Mr. Dusty Hind have formed the Jabulani Repertory Company, with four plays currently in rehearsal. They will be presented on a rotating basis on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Gazebo Room.

Ms Pogson will be the artistic director, with Mr. Hind the producer. "We are excited that we are doing something to provide entertainment during the off-season. We think it will attract a lot of interest amongst locals and we see this as a step in the right direction with regard to cultural tourism. We shall be performing a different play each weekend,'' he explains, stressing that each production will be a comedy that should appeal to everyone, visitors and locals alike.

Significantly, the projected season also underlines Ms Pogson's wish to present plays and players which reflect the racial mix on the Island.

In fact, it was last year's acclaimed production of Six Degrees of Separation that led to her present union with Mr. Hind, who also has a strong theatre background.

As he explains, "I had wanted to do some kind of cocktail or dinner theatre for a long time. Having done Six Degrees with Pat, my admiration for her work knows no bounds, so one thing led to another and we decided to form a partnership.'' Mr. Hind says the decision to go ahead with their plan had a lot to do with races getting together on the Island. "We wanted to make sure that we were creating an opportunity to get black and white actors together onstage.'' The new theatrical duo is especially pleased the company will have a semi-professional status, with all the actors receiving a "small'' salary from the admission tickets.

"I am very excited about this,'' admits Ms Pogson. "It's a small beginning but I think this could eventually lead to some kind of permanent repertory company being formed.'' In the meantime, they are grateful for the opportunity to show their worth, as it were, through the facilities of the Princess Hotel.

"The Princess hotels have a good reputation where local entertainment is concerned,'' points out Mr. Hind. "They have always encouraged local acts and I see cocktail theatre as an extension of that policy. Peter Komposch, the general manager, and Scott Stiffler, who's the food and beverage director, have both been very, very supportive of our project and have been extremely helpful in getting it off the ground.'' Both feel there is some urgency in upgrading the amount and quality of entertainment available locally.

"Twenty years ago there were ten nightclubs and about a dozen musical groups,'' says Mr. Hind. "Whereas, next year, it looks as though there will be only three or four nightclubs, other than the jazz clubs, for our tourists to visit.'' They are stressing that this is cocktail theatre, "because we didn't want to limit the potential audience. Some people, especially local residents, might not want an entire `dinner package' but would prefer the `drinks only' package, which also includes the price of admission.'' Mr. Hind stresses, however, that a dinner package will be available in one of the three Princess restaurants, depending on which ones remain open during the five-month off-season period.

The play chosen to open the season is A.R. Gurney's modern classic, "Love Letters'', a two-character play which has long been a favourite "star-vehicle'' for some of America's best-known theatrical couples.

Connie Dey and Peter Woolcock recently delighted Daylesford audiences with this bitter-sweet walk down memory lane, when they first performed the play for BMDS.

Other plays which will be presented in rotation each weekend include "Livin' Fat'' by Judi Mason, a farce-type comedy in which a poor black family benefits from an unexpected financial windfall. Popular actors Danjou Anderson and Edward Christopher are joined by Nayte Paxton, Denice Whitter, Diletta Gillespie and Tona Douglas in this play which has been described by Show Business magazine as "witty, incisive and downright hilarious''.

Horowitz and Mrs. Washington tackle inter-racial relationships in a play that is described as reminiscent of "Driving Miss Daisy''. In this instance, it is a rich, retired Jewish man, recovering from an attack by black muggers, who has to come to terms with being nursed back to health by a black woman. The stormy road to eventual friendship provides plenty of humour from the six-member cast. Dalzell Tucker, Denise Whitter, Lizabeth Outerbridge, Russell De Moura, Delaey Robinson and Nadonja Bailey provide the laughs.

Nadonja, says Ms Pogson is only 15 years old and goes to Berkeley. "He has worked with me in the Road Shows for several years. Now he's decided he wants to go abroad and study drama. This will be good training for him.'' The last weekend of each month sees two one-act plays, "Actor's Nightmare'', which was also previously staged by BMDS, and "Sister Mary Ignatius''. Taking part in this double bill will be Paul Matthews, Evelyn McGregor, Barbara Jones, Mark Pettingill and Connie Dey.

"We have some very good, experienced people appearing in these plays,'' observes Ms Pogson. "If we can sustain a semi-professional theatre, it could be the beginning of something very exciting indeed. We're hoping that others, actors and technical experts will be inspired to join us, and then perhaps the season could be expanded and extended. We shall soon have a significant group of plays that are rehearsed and ready to be performed for special events or at conventions, etc.'' They have had to choose plays with no more than six characters due to the limited stage space.

"I think we read about 20 plays altogether,'' says Ms Pogson. "Then I called the Black Box Theatre registry and asked them to come in and read and, along with the help of Paul Matthews, we've been able to get people who are all experienced performers.'' Expressing a hope that 150-200 people will see each show, Mr. Hind is confident that there will be a warm response to the project on the part of the local community.

"There's so much coverage of musical talent in Bermuda, and sometimes, we seem to lose sight of just how many gifted actors and actresses there are.'' They feel lucky to have three highly talented people assisting with the production. Rotimi Martins is the technical director, Stacey Wainwright, art director, and Leonard Ming is in charge of make-up.

The Jabulani Repertory Company begins its weekend performances in the Gazebo Room of the Princess Hotel on Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 at 9 p.m. The season, with the exception of the Christmas/New Year period, will continue through March. The admission price is $15. The dinner package is $40 and includes a four-course meal in one of the three restaurants. For reservations call the Princess at 295-3000.

PRINCESS PLAYERS -- The newly formed Jabulani Repertory Company's cast of `Livin' Fat': (left to right) front: producer Dusty Hind and director Patricia Pogson, second row: Tona Douglas, Nayte Paxton, Diletta Gillespie, back: Danjou Anderson, Denice Whitter and Edward Christopher.