When the curtain goes up on the thirty-first annual Bermuda Festival on January 12, 2006 it will once again feature artists and acts from diverse countries as well as Bermuda. As always, dance, music, comedy and theatre will be included in the mix of events.

Some acts will be making a welcome return to the Festival stage, while others will be newcomers. All have been chosen to appeal to a broad cross section of tastes and ages.

The Festival will begin with comedy and end with jazz, and all performances will be at one of two venues: City Hall theatre or the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts. Starting times will be 8 p.m. except for two matinee performances of the New Shanghai Circus, which will begin at 2.30 p.m.

Ticket prices will be $50 for adults and $25 for students for all performances except the New Shanghai Circus, when adult performances will be reduced to $45 to encourage family attendance.

The complete programme is as follows:

January 12-14: My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish: Sam Solomon's one-man show is filled with adult humour and musical surprises as he invites the audience to meet his family, all of whom are dedicated to driving him into therapy.

January 20-21: US repertory company, The Acting Company, returns after an eight-year absence to present Shakespeare's final tragedy, 'Macbeath'. The classic features some of the most sublime soliloquies in the Shakespearean canon.

January 25-26: The King's Consort from London, England will present a highly original programme of Italian and English chamber music.

January 27-29: The 30-voice Soweto Gospel Choir, renowned for its magnetic energy, joyful spirits and beautiful harmonies, presents a dazzling, non-stop show which includes a live band, traditional African gospel music and western spirituals in six languages.

February 1-2: Garth Fagan Dance: A 35 year-old internationally acclaimed dance company. Fagan is most recently renowned for his choreography for the film, 'The Lion King'. His dance language is drawn from many sources, and the dancers are known for their individuality, unmannered approach and virtuosity.

February 3-4: 'Shylock'. Former Royal Shakespeare Company actor Gareth Armstrong's riveting one-man play, which he wrote, is centred on the many layers of the famous Jew in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'. An award-winning piece of theatre which challenges the audience to examine racism, scapegoating and anti-Semitism.

February 7-8: The Ahn Trio: Korean-born sisters, violinist Angella and twins Lucia (piano) and Maria (cello) are known for their extraordinary ability to communicate with and captivate their audiences.

Their dynamic programme will demonstrate their commitment to contemporary composers, including Michael Nyman (of 'The Piano' fame), Kenji Bunch, and Astor Piazzola, and ensure a universally appealing, thrilling evening.

February 10-12: Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre includes some of the finest ballet artists drawn from the Kirov and Maly companies. Will perform well-known classical ballet pieces by such renowned choreographers as Petipa, Bournonville and Vaganova in the best Russian tradition.

February 14: Kimberly Cann: A Valentine's Day performance by Bermudian classical pianist Kimberly Cann, who made her orchestral debut in the US at age 14 playing Beethoven's 'Emperor' concerto with the Southern University Symphony. A recent graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a Master's degree in Performance and Ethnomusicology, Miss Cann is about to embark on a professional concert career. Her programme will consist of works by Paganini, Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Debussy.

February 17-19: The New Shanghai Circus returns to give three evening and two matinee performances of breathtaking physical grace and dexterity. An unforgettable event for all the family.

February 21-22: Preservation Hall Jazz Band will stir the soul with a repertoire that embraces all music unique to New Orleans.

February 24-25: Ramsey Lewis Trio. Join 'The In Crowd' when pianist Lewis reprises his 40-year career through today's perspective. The programme will explore all of the diverse forms of music which encompass Lewis' musical persona, shaping a stylistic compendium of his influences from classical music, to R&B, jazz and gospel. Larry Gray on bass and Leon Joyce on drums complete the trio.

For further information visit www.bermudafestival.org