... INTERVAL CLUB A CHILD'S DREAM OF CHRISTMAS On Christmas Day the Interval Club presented their annual Christmas Party, which included the performance of a Nativity play by Beryl Cooke. ''A Child's Dream of Christmas. Short, simple and effective, this play tells of the angels' announcement of the Nativity to the shepherds and how they travelled to see the Holy Child, bringing Him what ...

... THE GATEWAY ''KING'S WORK'' On December 27 the committee of the Gateway Theatre Club pre sented an historical play in three acts, by Martin Holmes. King's Work. An unfortunate aspect of his torical plays is that the author is habitually faced with the choice be tween two evils; the alternatives of sacrificing historical accuracy or dramatic form. Mr. Holmes gives his allegiance to history. ...

... LIGHTING A TORCH On December 30 a preview was given of a late-night revue pre sented by Richard Morris, devised by Josephine Douglas and Kenneth Midwood, Lighting a Torch. The torch of this revue promises to burn brightly but does not wholly succeed, and its expectations of a blazing lire are replaced by a lam bent name. It is dampened by lack of polish, while laughs are banged home and ...

... BRIGHTON PREMIERE ''ESCAPADE'' On December 22, at the Royal. Henry Sherek presented a new cometly by Roger MacDougall, Escapade. Stella Hampden Phyllis Calvcri Mrs. Hampden Edith Sharpc 'Peter Henderson Michael Aldridgc I William Saxon David March Sir Harold Cookham Michael Lonan John Hampden Nincl Patrick Wallers John Carcw Dr. Skillingworlh Ernest Clark I Miss Bcttj Dorothy Turner i Paton ...

... BRIAM REECE RETURNS 'Meet a Body' at the Duke of York's THIS improbable adventure succeeds in its intentions very well and gives Brian Reece an excellent opportunity to exploit his individual style of light comedy tinged with spiky humour. The story, improbable in almost every way, is so neatly devised and smoothly Plav by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, being a revised version of the ...

... FROLICS IN THE NURSERY Kathleen Harrison Saves 'All For Mary' THE moral of this improbable story appears to be that ladies should beware of taking their second husband to the scene of their first honeymoon. In this particular instance the danger is Play by Harold Brooke and Kay Bannerman. Presented by Henry Sherek at the Duke of York's on September 9. Setting by Michael Eve. Alphonse Neil ...

... The Family Comedy Again SCATTER BRAINED well-meaning Mother, ambitious for her children and taking her husband for granted; Dad, with his sober, dull ways, who suddenly turns on his loving but inconsiderate family; the arty daughter and the playwright son; and last, the gaping Comedy by Michael Voysey, pre sented by arrangement with Anthony Hawtrey by Folk Thea tre, Ltd.. in association ...

... THE first performance of Laurier Lister's new revue, Pay the Piper, was given an enthusiastic reception at Bournemouth Pavilion on Monday. It marks the debut of Elsie and Doris Waters in this form of entertainment, and they emerge with flying colours. The accent, as with all Mr. Lister's revues, is on colour, topical take-off. and melody. If any fault is to be found it is that there is too ...

... MURDER WILL SPEAK! a Chinese thriller by a new author. Michael Hutton Squire, which was presented at Birmingham Repertory on Tuesday, proves a curio if no more. Its detective is a legendary Chinese sleuth whose affinities with his modern dants are obvious enough to suggest that he might have been a pattern for Conan Doyle. In the original novel there may perhaps have been a few ...

... THERE are certain historical personages about whom it seems plays will forever be written. Mary Stuart is tbe first example that comes to mind; Elizabeth is another; and Anne Boleyn is not far behind. What was the truth about this second wife of Henry ine eignin.- was sne merely a scheming hussy who suddenly saw the possibility of being queen? Or did she really love her royal hus- band? ...

... IN It Could Happen Here, presented at Harrogate by the White Rose Players, Edwin Lewis has departed from comedy themes and entered into the dramatic field. The principal character is a young soldier back from a Korean prison camp, who has been indoctrinated with Communist propaganda. He returns home uneasy in mind and confused, but in the end he sees what he considers to be the right path ...

... MONDAY evening was a gala night at the Olympia, Dublin, for the premiere of a new production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. What added greatly to the occasion was the presence of Mr. Coward in the audience, paying his firsi theatrical visit to Dublin. The capacity audience soon settled down to enjoy the play, rcslising that its wit never misfires. The play seems fresh as ever. Dennis ...