... BRISTOL OLD VIC New Season Opens THIS was the first production by the new company's new resident director, John Moody, and its success augurs well for what is to come later in the season. The Road to Ruin, Thomas Hglcroft's moralising comedy, which Revival of the plav by Thomas Holcrot't. Presented by the Bristol Old Vic Company at the Royal. Bristol, on August 30. Sellings and costumcs by ...

... A WAR OF NERVES THE tarnished flamboyance of Agatha Payne, the ageing gipsy with the evil eye, provided Edith Evans with one of the most spectacular triumphs of her stage career in The Old Ladies, the fascinating thriller which Rodney Ackland adapted from the novel by Hugh Walpole. it is gratifying to know tnat this awe-inspiring performance has been magnificently filmed for tele vision ...

... IN VISION THE theatre has Found another excuse First it blamed television for falling audiences, then it was the entertainments tax, now it seems, it is the studio audience which is causing all the trouble. I do not say that Mr. Emile Littler hasn't got a point--he has, but I am fust wondering how strong this point is. Let me make it quite clear from the start that like Mr. Littler I'm ...

... TV VARIETY ABC Television have been trying out an experiment this past two months with a fortnightly variety show, and they have had' time to analyse their audience correspond ence and research returns. Their findings prove quite conclusively that as far as television is concerned good, rich variety is still extremely popular. In fact, their Saturday evening variety shows, produced from ...

... 'THE GREAT ADVENTURE' Each Thursday a team of critics rc view some of the week's I pro grammes on both channels. This week your reviewers are Eric Johns, Derek Hoddinott, Harold Darton and Margaret Cowan. ARNOLD BENNETT'S ironically humorous story, The Great Adventure, suitably adapted by Eric Crozier, made an excellent play for fireside viewing on the BBC-TV Sunday programme. It is, after ...

... 'THE PONYMAN' I l-OUND The Ponyman (Gran- ada TV) last week a rather slow affair, although a well-written one. A photographer and his pony come to a small town and reveals that he was a friend of Jeremy Kemp's. This news staggers the townspeople, who had tarrrcd and leathered him some years ago thinking he had raped a voting girl. 1 hey had been wrong and now. learning of the death of Kemp, ...

... American View DESILU Productions have completed arrangements to do a filmed television version of the novel, The Miracle of Bernadette, by Dr. Margaret Blanton, which tells the story of the experiences of the peasant girl at Lourdes. The dramatisation will be presented as an early ottering on itic Westing- house-Desilu Playhouse programme making its d$but next October. Ludi Clair, who ...

... Associoted-Rediffusion TWO bright artists, Alan White and June Whitfield, aided by Sidney James as host and sketch actor, gave the first of a new series. Jack Hvlton's On With the Show. (AR-TV), a good send-off. Ivor Emanuel and Joan Manning had moments as singers, a modern ballet giving point to the former's Young in Heart: Kennv Baker played his trumpet and the Two Sipolos produced music ...

... BBC-TV THE theory that comedy docsn t come off on TV was shattered by this light-hearted affair of the demobbed private who has to be escorted home because of his proclivity to mechanical tinkering, which has already cost the country five million pounds. The satire is subtly implied, the descent to the farce-level of The Army Game is skilfully avoided, and the series of disasters on the ...

... Certainly, there is a great deal of American and Anglo-American TV film-making going on in our studios--and let's admit, it is providing steady and lucrative employment for many young British artists. No-onc wants to deprive British TV of anyone (or anything) worth while from overseas, especially if he or she has something definite to offer us Let British viewers have the very best programmes ...

... BUSY SCRIPTWRITERS ITS a busy period ahead for scriptwriters Dick Sharpies and Gerald Kelsey. Free and Easy the Dickie Valentine new weekly musical comedy series for Associated Rediffusion started last night they are writing the new-style Joan and Leslie situation comedy series for ATV, which replaces The Army Game on the ITV Net work from June 20 and a pilot script for a new Granada TV comedv ...

... Studio Talk News About People About Programmes About BBC & ITV TWENTYseven- year-old Manchester-born Steve Martin is featured in the July 12 tdition of 6.5 Special on BBC TV. Jack Palamt has purchased .i Chateau with an adjoining ft farm in Switzerland where he a and his family will now live. K _ Jean Kent will be seen on BBC TV screens on Sunday. Jr June 15. in the play The Sulky Fire ...