... OLYMPIA THERE is a brisk tempo about Bertram Mills's Circus, which opened on December 20. No act is allowed to remain too long in the ring and novelty is the keynote of most of the offerings The whole makes a most satisfying show, which is probably the best since the war. The circus opens traditionally with The Parade of the com pany. and then the Clowns take over, presenting several ...

... NOTTINGHAM 'JACK AND THE BEANSTALK' THREE animals--one of them real--add to the attraction of Tom Arnold's Jack and the Beanstalk at the Royal. There are the joint antics of Phyl and Jimmy Yuile in the skin of Jessie the Cow, the shaggy rogueries of Billy Purvis as Bingo the Dog, and the squawking of a genuine piglet, calmed by a feeding bottle and a lullaby from Reg Dixon. The Coventry ...

... WESTCLIFF 'PUSS IN BOOTS' RDONALD BRANDON and Dickie Pounds presented Puss in Boots, with book by Joseph R. Lahey and Dickie Pounds and lyrics and music by Charles F. Tovey at the Palace on Boxing Day. In this version everything is done to keep the plot in sight all the time, the humour and specialities falling naturally into place. There is full scope for the dancers in a ballet on the ...

... PERTH 'CINDERELLA' LIBERALLY spiced with comedy, attractively garnished by lovely costumes and colourful settings--and served up to the accompaniment of catchy song and dance numbers--Perth Theatre Company's own sparkling production of Cinderella has provided something special in the way of seasonal fare. When it is considered that the company had only a fortnight's rehearsal, the ...

... OXFORD 'LITTLE MISS MUFFET' JACK HYLTON and Emile Lilller's Little Miss Muffet at the New owes a considerable part of its success to the endlessly inventive antics of those superb grotesques, the Cairoii Brothers, Charlie, Paul and Jimmy (the woebegone dead-pan member of the trio who achieves some devasta- lingly comic effects by the absolute j minimum of facial expression and bodily ...

... EASTBOURNE 'MOTHER GOOSE IF the idea is prevalent that traditional pantomime is played out, there are hundreds of Sussex folk who would need no second invitation to come forward and argue to the contrary. This statement can be substantiated by the success attending the presentation at th: Hippodrome of Mothei Goose. This is pantomime in the best provincial tradition. It is well staged ind ...

... WINDSOR 'BABES IN THE WOOD' ONE of the places where the best traditions of pantomime are respected is the Royal, where an authentic Babes in the Wood, with book by Mary Kerridge, has been devised and presented by John Counsell. As asual there, Duncan Lewis plays Dame: and, as usual, his ex- j cellcncc merits his popularity. Amusement must be tempered with genuine affection at the way he ...

... I ADMIRE idealists because they are the only people I know who don't mind fighting a losing battle. On the other hand, I don't admire the idealist who shuts out materialism simply because he thinks it trivial. If one follows this through to its logical conclusion life itself is trivial and 1 suppose it is, in a way. Yet people have to go on living, one cannot neglect one's physical ...

... 'IVANHOE' SERIES: 'The Circus' IVANHOE it a Sidney Box production, distributed by Screen Gems. Roger Moore stars in the name part. Usual formula of the champion of right against I the wrong-doer in power. The period of good King Richard the First, and bad Prince John. In this episode, the people rally to 'The Magpie, a singer of sub versive songs, and The Falcon, who is lvanhoc. They are ...

... NO FROST AT CAA CONCERT WARMER days than we've recently had were recalled at last Sunday's C.A.A. concert at Bloomsbury's Victoria Hall by the joint comperes, Clifford Hensley and Bill Pertwee, the latter making a good impression on his first visit, and the former being as breezy as ever. In a programme strong in singing, a new contralto. Margaret Justine, accompanied bv Arthur Carter, had ...

... IT WAS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AFTER ALL r these trying times no season seems to be without its diffi culties hut despite prevailing con ditions, this year's Christmas season appeared to be its usual active self so far as concert artists were con cerned. It had been thought that petrol rationing would have had a greater effect on the number of people go ing away, but the railways were busier than ...

... GLASGOW PLANS AMATEUR FESTIVAL GLASGOW plans to stage an amateur festival of music and drama during 1957. but it will not be a rival to the Edinburgh Festi val. A joint sub-committee has been set up to consider the proposal. Plan is to hold the festival over a period of three or four weeks, probably in ihe autumn. It would be open to Corporation clubs and community centres as well as to clubs ...