... Story of Columba COLUMBA, one of the first evangelists to set about the conversion of Scotland in the sixth century, is the subject of C. P. Taylor's new musical play presented jointly by Scottish Theatre Ballet Movable Workshop and Scottish Television at the Traverse, Edinburgh. The saint who emerges from Columba, a most imaginative production, is far removed, though not necessarily opposed ...

... 'THE PARTY', OR POLITICS IN KENSINGTON by R. B. Marriott IN TREVOR GRIFFITHS' The Party, the latest production by the National Theatre at the Old Vic, a group of people discuss politics at a gathering in the very smart Kensington home of a man who works in television. There are orations and tirades; various shades of political thought are examined. The behaviour and action of parties over ...

... Festival Ballet ANY ATTEMPT to display the finished work of budding choreographers does a valuable service to the art of dance, for good ones are even rarer than good playwrights. London Festival Ballet are aware of this and staged another of their periodic Choreographic Even ings of new work at the Collegiate on December 20, with seven varied works danced mainly by members of the company. ...

... 'The Feast of Fools' THE FEAST OF FOOLS at the Round House is rather different from the usual Christmas holiday fare. But despite large helpings of cruelty and bawdy, it's as homely as mince pies or pantomime. Master Paddy Fletcher de la Zouche whisks us away with a joke on his lips and a leer in his eye to the cosy womb of medieval England. In the Baronial Hall of Poindexter Armbuster you ...

... 'Flamenco Puro' PACO PENA's Flamenco Puro, back at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for two weeks from December 26, is a far remove from the flashy showbiz side of Flamenco as staged for tourists on Spain's popular costas. Devoid of excess frilly glamour and exaggerated movements, Paco Pefia's show gives an impression of authen ticity in its interpretation of this unique form of music which is ...

... Scottish Theatre Ballet THE FULL-LENGTH production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker has proved to be an admirable Christmas programme at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh. Scottish Theatre Ballet are to be commended for this glittering formance, which has all the story-book ingredients for the festive season. It begins with an elegant Christmas party in the grand manner that leads in the dreams ...

... London Festival AFTER Nureyev's version of The Nutcracker, London Festival Ballet's appears quite traditional, though it is now in need of a firm guiding hand to give the production some consistency. Even the once neatly-designed costumes for the divertissements have in some instances been changed for some tasteless creations, the worst on account of overwhelming numbers be ing the ...

... Natalia Makarova NATALIA MAKAROVA's guest appearance with the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden on December 19 included her debut here in a modern work, MacMillan's Concerto, in addition to the more familiar Don Quixote pas de deux. In this latter work she was part nered securely by a somewhat subdued David Wall, though his masculine sturdiness complemented her brasher style. She is ...

... Jenner and Coleman CHRISTMAS is an appropriate time to present Ashton's La Fille mal gardee for, despite its high summer atmosphere, it has a festive quality of enjoyment which appeals to ballet audiences of all levels of experience. At the Covent Garden per formance on December 28 the cast was headed by Ann Jenner and Michael Coleman, an un forced and well-matched pair of happy lovers as ...

... 'Nutcracker' lack of style FURTHER VISITS to London Festival Ballet's production of The Nutcracker at the Royal Festival Hall prompt me to ask why this commercially successful presentation should at the same time be so unsatisfactory from an artistic point. In the main the dancers are hard-working and proficient, seemingly interested in their work in spite of two- and-a-half weeks of ...

... Benefit A BENEFIT performance of The Rocky Horror Show will be given at 11.30 p.m. on January 23 at the King's Road Theatre in aid of Roy Truman. A board operator for the show, he was injured recently when a maroon blew up in his face, fusing him to lose an eye and impairing his hearing. Seats are priced from £2.50 downwards. ...

... SELDOM-SEEN OPERAS AT CAMDEN AS IN previous years, a feature of the Camden Festival 1974 will be productions of seldom- seen operas. On February 20 at the Collegiate, Opera da Camera will present the first perfor mance in this country of The Comedy of Errors by Stephen Storace, in an English transla tion by Arthur Jacobs with music edited by Richard Piatt. In the cast are Marie Hayward, ...