and Spa is something of a triumph for director Peter Petty who, over the past four years, has developed a concept of comedy that has a distinctly Bermudian flavour. Now, with the backing of Sonesta's management, he is able to present a fully-fledged entertainment package which sees Sonesta's Palm Court Club transformed into a nightclub, 1990's-style, with built-in video and karaoke systems and where the emphasis is on audience participation.

Some of this audience participation is not always entirely voluntary -- so be warned: if you sit near the stage you may find yourself part of the act. This, of course, is all part of the fun at the Comedy Club, as a succession of comedians take their turn at the microphone, embracing the whole room in a personalised, intimate brand of humour which today's audiences seem to love.

Bootsie, who hosts the Island Party, has become a master of this technique.

This Bermudian funny-man has a huge following amongst his compatriots who almost squirm with delight as he pokes gentle fun at most of our national idiosyncrasies. Now he is proving that he can also appeal to a wider audience.

He is supported by other local comedians -- on this particular evening, by Stuart Doyle. His is an interesting background, rooted in a successful career as a professional speaker. Somewhere along the line, the footlights beckoned, and he began a parallel career as a stand-up comic. At the moment, his material specialises in "the traveller'', most hilariously when he turns the spotlight on that special breed, the cruise-line passenger.

Peter Petty has realised the effectiveness of a balanced show and brings this about with the spectacle of the Caribbean limbo dance, which certainly provides visual relief from the comic kind.

King Pedro earns his title as Bermuda's King of Limbo as he squeezes, with glass balanced on his forehead, grace and rhythm still intact, under a fiery horizontal bar only eight inches from the ground.

Headlining the show is Canadian mime and comedian, Paul Windbaum. His outstanding talent has taken him all over the world where, in addition to nightclub engagements, he has appeared at most of the major arts festivals and on countless television shows.

He is a versatile performer who brings a breath of fresh air into the often predictable repertoire of most run-of-the-mill comedians.

With a wit that sometimes borders on the acerbic, he pulls the audience into his show, most notably when `volunteers' form a human piano so that he can conduct a particularly manic concert. In another skit, he creates an array of characters with just the assistance of a felt ring headdress and a piece of rope.

His mime sequences lift this show well above the norm, as he assumes a cast of characters that are poignant as well as amusing: a baby who is reluctant to enter this world, and perhaps the highlight of his act, the use of a white mask and fan to portray Woman in all her ages and guises. The dexterity with which he manipulates this fan to take on all manner of forms, from hats to drinking glasses, produces a succession of "ahs'', similar to those heard at a fireworks display where each tableau is surpassed by the next. It is a tribute to his artistry that Paul Wildbaum is able to keep a nightclub audience spellbound by the beauty as well as the humour of this superbly executed sketch.

The Comedy Club seem to have got the recipe just right this time around -- some of Bermuda's most promising talent, backed by the exceptional headline act of Paul Wildbaum who, through his extensive use of mime, is universal enough to appeal to just about any audience.

PATRICIA CALNAN KING OF DISGUISE -- Comedian Paul Wildbaum takes centre stage in the Comedy Club's Island Party at the Sonesta Beach Hotel and Spa.