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L e a r n i n g with L a u g h t e r Registered nurse Alice Bell's favorite body part is the funny bone. "I'm a sex educator working in schools, as well as a stand-up comic. I have to make sure I know which hat I'm wearing when I pick up the phone. I'll be talking about something clinical and the person will say, 'That doesn't sound very funny,' and I say,'Oh, you want comedy Alice.' Sometimes the twain do meet. O t h e r comics are envious of my w o r k because it's fertile ground for material (pun intended). W e still call it 'Sexual Health Science' but, if the students can relax a bit and have a giggle, maybe they'll retain the information." Alice Bell went to the C o m e d y Gym, a school for aspiring comedians. "You know, just like a regular gym, except you go there to flex your comedy muscle," she laughs. "I was never interested in being a headliner. Headliners travel 200 days a year, and I want to spend more time with my family." She certainly could have topped the bill at any club: after only a handful of amateur appearances. Bell won an amateur comedy championship. "I wanted to bring comedy to my work, not make comedy my work," she explains. Alice Bell, RN Part of the first C o m e d y Railroad show, Bell is enthusiastic about Henry Watson's concept. "I was blown away by the calibre of the comedians at the first show. It's fun for the comedians, too, t o perform in a pleasant, high-quality environment to an audience that has come specifically to see comedy." to the occasion o r group that I'm working with.There'll be a few new twists, to be sure." A l s o on the bill for the evening is Irwin Barker, who audiences might recognize from the nationally televised half-hour special he wrote and starred in on C B C ' s Comics. Barker, who has also written comedy sketches for shows such as C B C Radio's Definitely Not the Opera, has played comedy clubs across Canada, as well as providing the after-dinner yuks at conventions and gatherings. He earned praise from the folks at Money Watch Consultants, who called his presentation,"Excellent comedy, fast-paced, and really, really funny - and he didn't tell one dirty joke or use foul language." Producer Henry Watson is also a comedian (though he won't appear on February 5), with T V and movie credits and several cruise-ship gigs under his belt. So, remember, if you're thinking of boarding the C o m e d y Railroad, there's no luggage to pack o r berths to struggle into, just a snug, nonmoving seat.The only whistles are those of approval from the audience - and the destination is hilarity. Take a seat on the C o m e d y Railroad February 5 at the Capilano College Performing Arts Centre. Leanne Campbell is a freelance writer, radio broadcaster, and theatre critic.