IN 1963, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals first came to Bermuda. The impression that the island made on that first group of Harvard undergraduates - arriving to sunshine from the blizzards of a Massachusetts winter - was enough to turn it into a permanent leg of the tour. Today, it's one of the group's selling points in its recruitment drive for the annual production.

"We have a run here, in Cambridge, but the pinnacle of the year is coming to Bermuda," said Joshua Bress, who produced the show last year. "It runs from mid-February through mid to late-March - six days a week, twice a week on Saturdays.

"Each year, we have 40 shows in Cambridge alone, but during the audition process, you'll see ads all over campus asking, 'Do you want to go to Bermuda?' The students on campus definitely want to be a part of it because of that."

This year's It's a Wonderful Afterlife marks the 155th production of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and its 40th annual Bermuda production. It will be showing at City Hall Theatre from March 26 and 29. With professional choreographers, costumes and directors, today's slick - but still student-written - presentations, bear little resemblance to the first production in 1891, and even less to those tied to its origin in 1795.

"It's the oldest theatrical company in North America, second only to the Royal Theatre in England," explained Mr. Bress. "The club began by producing mock trials that gained in popularity and evolved over 155 years into the Hasty Pudding Show that audiences see today.

"Our first full length show was Bombastes Furioso and our first hit was with Dido and Aeneas. Today, it is professional. It's still written by students but we have professional costumers, professional choreographers; everything is professional except the members of the cast, who work hand in hand with the professionals."

As detailed on its website, Hasty Pudding Theatricals began as a secret society, in 1795.

"In 1795, 21 Harvard students crowded into a dorm room to celebrate the establishment of a new on-campus society," it reads. "Members pledged to maintain the club's secrecy and 'to cultivate the social affections and cherish the feelings of friendship and patriotism'.

"Most importantly, they mandated that 'the members in alphabetical order shall provide a pot of hasty pudding for every meeting'. With this ritual, the Hasty Pudding club found its namesake, and the theatrical organisation of today found its simpler roots.

"The turn of the century saw the introduction of a new tradition into club meetings. In response to increased rowdiness and anarchy, a mock criminal court was improvised to try club members for 'insolence' and 'contempt of the club'. These trials were a great success, and the club constitution was amended to incorporate these dramatisations into every club meeting.

"No figure was safe from condemnation by this amateur court system - Cortez was convicted for 'massacres and cruelties', the British Parliament stood guilty for its beheading of Charles I, and the college administration was indicted for 'compelling the whole body of students to pursue the dry, repulsive . . . study of mathematics'. "Through the years, these productions became more elaborate, with the addition of costumes and eventually scripts."

In 1844 the group produced an opera, Bomabastes Furioso, thereby beginning a tradition interrupted only by the two World Wars. It wasn't until more than 30 years later, however, that the show opened to the general public.

"The first productions were adapted shows from the professional theatre of the era; by the 1860s, the Pudding was producing student-written shows. Productions were initially performed exclusively for club members, but as their popularity grew, audience exclusivity waned. Harvard granted theatre space to the Hasty Pudding in 1876, opening the shows to a general audience.

"The space was a dingy little building on the edge of the athletic field that the club secretary, (and later, President) Theodore Roosevelt, referred to as 'the shed.' In 1882, the club produced a landmark show that attracted national attention. Dido and Aeneas was a burlesque adaptation of Virgil's classic text, and was so popular that the Pudding was offered the opportunity to tour New York and Philadelphia. This national attention and financial success allowed the Pudding to construct the current clubhouse in 1888, and set the gold standard for all Pudding shows that were to follow.

"The modern Pudding show has evolved into a spectacle beyond anything ever envisioned by the founders of the original secret society. Undergraduates are now provided guidance by theatrical veterans in all aspects of the production, while sets and costumes rival those of many professional shows. Still, the show remains in its essence, a no-holds-barred drag burlesque, with men playing both the male and female roles."

With the admittance of women to Harvard, the fairer sex was eventually allowed to join in the popular show's production and are today involved in all other aspects; from technical staff, to writing and producing, to the musical score which moves the plot along.

"This is our 155th production this year," explained the show's publicity manager, Susan Thompson. "The show is student-written and composed. The cast, crew, band, and business staff are all Harvard students. We work with a professional choreographer, director, stage manger, set designer, costume designer, music supervisor, music arranger and orchestrator, vocal coach, music director, lighting director, sound designer, and technical director each year.

Added Mr. Bress: "The show has always been an all-male drag show but 60 percent of the people behind the (production) are female. So it actually balances out."

That it might be feasible for Hasty Pudding Theatricals to travel to Bermuda was first discussed in 1963 as the company entertained the thought of expanding its tour, then limited to the Eastern Seaboard.

"The misfortune of a tour stop cancellation later that winter turned into good fortune, as it provided an opportunity to bring the show to Bermuda," wrote Hasty Pudding Theatricals' historian Jamie Smith, in last year's show programme.

"With gracious assistance from the Bermuda Government, (the now defunct) Pan-Am Airlines, and a little bit of luck, the Pudding transported its show to the sunny shores of Bermuda.

"Since then, we have expanded the Bermuda leg of the tour, while reducing the US leg. With the crucial support of (the late) Don Gibson, and his widow, the elegant Elsbeth Gibson, the Pudding firmly established itself on the island. For most members of the Theatricals, past and present, the Bermuda tour remains one of their fondest memories of their Harvard careers."

Added Mr. Bress: "I believe the production first arrived in Bermuda through Harvard Alumni living there. Since then, we've been coming every year with an entire company of 70 people. The show takes a while to set up. It's such a big company, that touring is a bit difficult. We literally ship two tonnes of cargo to the island to put on the show. So we really rely on the Bermuda community to show its support of the show and they've been great over the last 40 years."

A Bermuda reference is generally included in the dialogue, he said.

"This year, for example, we've written into the show about how the characters are trying to get to a tropical paradise; next year's show begins in Bermuda with the election of our executive board. It brings wonderful symbolism to the show."

As with any good presentation, charity plays a huge part in every Hasty Pudding Theatricals' presentation. This year, part proceeds will be shared between the Bermuda Diabetes Association and the Patients Assistance League Service (PALS).

"We're thrilled to be coming to Bermuda to perform for our 40th year," Ms Thompson said. "To celebrate, we're also going to be raising money for charities in Bermuda as a way of thanking the community. Thus far in our Boston run, we have raised upwards of $8,500 for Boston area public school arts programs."

q Hasting Pudding Theatricals will present It's a Wonderful Afterlife at City Hall Theatre between March 26 through 29 at 8pm. Tickets are available on-line at www.hastypudding.org and, from Monday, may be reserved through the box office at 295-1727.