Dinner theatre, where dramatics are served up with the dessert, has been revived overseas and now Theatre Express has re-introduced the concept to Bermuda with a play that seems to have been tailor-made for the occasion.

The Dining Room, which is the setting as well as the title of the play, becomes a character in its own right, a silent witness over the years to the lives that unfold within its walls. It also pays mute tribute to the gradual demise of the dining room as the centre of family and social focus.

Prolific American playwright A.R. Gurney has come up with a technical tour de force in which six performers take on nine roles each, wherein the tapestry of New York city life is woven through several generations. As may be expected, just about every human emotion is given its turn as plot and time frames overlap, with the result that this beautifully scripted work is funny, sad -- and at times, even profound.

If the construction of this off-Broadway hit is complicated, it is no less so for the actors, who with dizzying rapidity have to play everything in the thespian range from tiny tots to doting dowagers.

This makes it difficult to single out any one performer in any specific role, but the whole cast reveals its versatility in this meticulously rehearsed production. Their ability to convey the apparently casual, conversational approach which is essential in intimate theatre, is all the more impressive in that some of them are newcomers to the stage.

The cast includes producer David Dill who provides a quite wonderful range of facial expressions as he progresses from wide-eyed boy to grumbling grandfather, Stuart Doyle making a debut that hints of real comedic ability and Jens Hansen who gave a topical brightness to some of the younger roles.

Deanna Rose and newcomer Pat Ferguson also gave very strong portrayals of women who, through the decades, saw the dining room as yet another place of mindless toil, or if they were luckier, welcomed it as a setting to display their feminine allure.

Teresa Sousa stepped in at the last moment to take on a motley collection of roles that ranged from uniformed maid to femme fatale. With the professionalism of one our leading actresses, she managed this gargantuan task with complete ease and fluency. A lovely performance.

Theatre Express, which was founded by director Barbara Hooper in 1988, has a winner on its hands with this delightful production. Further plays are planned which, it is hoped, will be performed on a regular basis on the hotel, guest house and club circuit.

The Dining Room has already been performed at Ariel Sands Club and last week's sold out performance at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club has resulted in a return engagement.

If Bermuda is serious about "cultural tourism'', the concept of Theatre Express could be part of the answer. This performance was reviewed at a dress rehearsal to which various hotel and guest house operators had been invited.

Only one showed up. PATRICIA CALNAN.