A play which allows the audience to take on a passive, voyeuristic role opens at Daylesford Theatre tonight.

Playwright Neil Simon's 'California Suite' will run through September 17, and is being staged as part of the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society's 60th anniversary celebrations.

The play is directed by Londoner Marc Mollica, and co-produced by Jo Shane and Nicola Wilkinson.

Mr. Mollica is a past associate director of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre, a lecturer at South East Essex College, and artistic director of the Threadbare Theatre Company. He said they best way to describe 'California Suite' is that it focuses on relationships.

"It happens in this room on four different occasions, and it is a lovely the way to peep into other people's lives," he said. "It is about what is happening in that room, and it gives the audience a chance to see extreme events and stories behind closed doors.

"What's really going on is hookers, and that is just one scene taken care of in itself, and a guy trying to cover up for his crimes from the night before.

"The audience will have a delight in watching this guy absolutely suffer. So, it is recognising other people's suffering and enjoying that fact."

Mr. Mollica has found directing an easy job at the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society (BMDS).

"Comedy is a difficult piece to direct, but I am lucky to have such a strong cast, so your team, or other players out there, make your life a little easier," he said. "It is a complete joy, and the rehearsals are great.

"At the moment we are looking at what us happening in each moment and looking at the psychology and the physical actions behind that. So by the time you come and see it, it will be all right. We are just doing all the background story."

Co-producer Jo Shane has been having fun in the matchmaking business.

"It has been interesting marrying people off because these are all married couples, ? at least everyone except the hooker in the bed," she said. "It is going to be a fun night out ? a hoot and a holler.

"You are a passive voyeur in this regard, as it allows all the performances to wash over you, and it is great in that regard."

Because the play is four individual pieces Ms Shane said there are also different types of comedy.

"There is one that is very physical, and you have lots of people fooling around, and things exploding. What is lovely about it is that we have the one permanent environment ? it is just the people who keep changing," she said.

"Playwright Neil Simon also has two other plays similar to this one," said Ms Shane. "There is the London Suite, the Plaza Suite, and this one is the California Suite. It is three plays about three different hotels, and this one is actually set in the Beverly Hills Hotel."

The co-producer added that Jean Butterfield did the set designs, and Barbara Jones designed and made the wardrobes.

"Barbara loves it, and of course this is set in the late '70s, which means that it is really a period piece ? even though to some of us it may not seem that long ago ? but finding costumes for that period is quite difficult, so it is getting inside of an era and researching and bringing it out," she said.

There are two newcomers in this production.

"Robert Lewis comes to us from Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding. He also took part in '24 Hours to Curtain', which we did recently, and then he came and auditioned for this," Ms Shane said. "He is such a lot of fun, he really is. In the play he is married to a girl played by Jenny Burrell, and she came to us last year in the make-up department. She is a tremendous actress and performer."

Ms Shane said the other cast members had been with them for many years.

"Long time members of the BMDS Richard Fell and Annette Hallett are appearing together as an English couple. "Mark Pettingill is in one of the plays where a couple haven't seen each other for years, and they have a daughter together who is now 17.

"The daughter has decided she would much rather like to live with her father, and they get together to discuss what should happen. The wife has remained pretty much the way she always was. She has looked after the child.

"Meanwhile, Mark Pettingill's character has gone off and completely changed. He was into hard drinking and hard smoking, but he has completely cleaned up his act and has completely changed, but the mother is still in the New York mind set, and she is bombing around the stage at 100 miles an hour while Mark is in his California gear."

Mr. Mollica discovered his directing talents after many producers asked him to direct plays for them.

"When I was a lot younger I wanted to be an actor, but I wasn't a very good one," he said. "I was okay, but everyone kept asking me to direct their pieces. I was at a theatre company initially, and I was freelancing as well.

"So, I was at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre and working on a West End production of 'Art', and that is why I came over here in the first instance."

Since 2002, when Mr. Mollica was here producing the Bermuda Festival production of 'Art', a play by Yasmine Reza, he has set up his own company called the Actors Laboratory, which is based on an unusual theory.

"I have set up a new company since then, which is more geared towards my own sort of search and interest in directing," he said. "I was focusing more acting training than anything else, and where we ultimately don't need directors ? just actors, words and an audience, because sometimes the directors distort the meaning. In the theatre the audience actually becomes the director."

Of the 'California Suite' cast, Mr. Mollica said some actors need him and others don't.

"With this cast some of the actors desperately need directing, and demand it almost, and some have their own ideas about what they want to do, so I have been an audience member and say, 'You are right' and then I consider the idea. It is a fine balance of many hands."

The complete cast consists of: Richard Fell, Annette Hallett, Lillian Veri, Mark Pettingill, Alison Evans, Robert Lewis, Jenny Burrell, Cotty Outerbridge, Fran Tucker, Jennifer Osmond and Matthew Nestor.