... . NOVELISTS AM) DRAMATISTS, It is astonishing, when one reflects on the axiom, truism, platitude, what you will, that the task of dramatising a novel is a supremely difficult and irksome one, how many novelists turn so readily to plav-writing, or contrari-wise, how frequently a matist doubles the role with that of novelists. A notable case in point has just been afforded by tho association ...

... . THE CHURCH AND THE STAGE. The Church and the Stage, the early history of the Actors' Church Union, by the Rev. Donald Hole, has just been published by the Faith Press, Ltd., at 2s. 6d. paper and 3s. 6d. cloth. The Rev. Donald Hole, who is of course well known as the secretary of the Actors Church Union, has covered his subject admirably. He traces the first attempts to bring the ...

... . THE THEATRE OF MY HEART. Mr. Geoffrey Whitworth has given this prettily fanciful title to his ardent and enthusiastic plea for the establishment of a National Theatre, issued in a neatly bound little volume, at 2s. 6d. net, by the firm of Victor Gollancz. The book is also partly graphical, dealing with Mr. Whit- worth's long association with Chutto and VVindus, his visit to the Crayford ...

... . OLD VIC MEMORIES. Four Years at the Old Vic, I by llarcourt Williams. Putnam. I 10s. 6d. net.) From 1929 to 1953 Haroourt Williams was producer at tl Old Vic, and the experience so shrrnd him that he has written a book upon it very interesting, crowded with glimpses of amusing people, and conveying the thrilling im pression of a fight with difficulties manfully waged. In one respect ...

... . THE BENSON MEMOIRS. Sir Frank Benson has borne out, indeed, his Christian name in the course of his engrossing volume of Memoirs (Ernest Benn, 21s. net), in which he has set forth some phases at any rate of a long and varied career as 'Varsity man, athlete, amateur actor fessional player, producer, founder of tho Benson company, and so on, and so on. He says openly that I never realised ...

... . Life of W. S. Gilbert. On the cover of an admirably produced, clearly arranged, and interestingly illustrated volume, W. S. Gilbert: His Life and Letters (Methuen, 15s. net), by Sidney Dark and Miss Rowland Grey, sister of Gilbert's intimate friend, the late Henry Rowland-Brown, it is affirmed that this is* 44 the first authoritative biouraphy of the famous Savoyard. However this may ...

... . Cling of the Clay. By MILTON HAYES. No wonder that that versatile writer and entertainer Milton Hayes has strictly reserved the motion picture, dramatic, broadcasting, mechanical record, and all other lights in his sensational novel, Cling of the Clay, published at 7s. 6d. net by Hodder and Stoughton. It might form tho basis of a most thrilling and exciting murder mystery drama, as ...

... . DAME MADGE'S BOOK. There is the familiar signature of Madge Kendal, inscribed in gold on the blue cover of the volume of reminiscences, styled Dame Madge Kendal, by Herself issued at the very moderate price of 10s. 6d. net by the firm of John Murray. On the title-page lacing the frontispiece showing Dame Madge at her desk, are tbe c lines Life in a comedy to thoi?e t who look, a tragedy ...

... . CROXTON'S CROWDED NIGHTS. Our readers will be familiar with part of the material used by that versatile man, Arthur Croxton, in his so-called Unconventional Pageant, to which he has given the title of Crowded Nights--and Days. This engrossing volume of reminiscences dicated ro a true comrade, my wife, and published by Sampson Low at 10s. 6d. net. has for frontispiece a portrait of ...

... . POOR OLD SHAKESPEARE. A designedly polemical volume in the 2s 6d. Kegan Paul ''To day and To-morrow series is ''Iconoclastes; Or the Future of Shakespeare,'' by Hubert Griffith, who, after his long and labourod eulogy of the Barry Jackson Hamlet, in Modern Dress, will probably enjoy Inmseit to nil heart's oontent in the same mana ger's productions of Macbeth and Taming of tbe Shrew. ...

... . ARE WE ALL MET? By Whitford Kane. (Elkin, Mathews, and Marrot. 16s.). Mr. Whitterd Kane has been largely concerned with the repertory' movement. Although he writes of many managers, authors, actors, his stock of good stories and reminiscences is not great. The account of an alleged rivalry between F. R. Benson and Osmond Tearle is interesting. Sir Frank Benson (then Mr.) gave an trial. ...

... . A Rose from Montmartre. In his Author's Noto to a little volume formed of stories, essays, verces, and epigrams, published by Arthur H. Stockwell, and styled A Rose from Montmartre. Rathmell Wilson explain that, though he named this collection of writings by the title which scemed to him the set, he feels tne wnob* volume is a rose i rnn\| Moirtmurtre, for so much of It is imj ir'd ...