... SIR,-- Mr. Ernest A. Dunn's letter demanding the abolition of the critics demonstrates admirably the unwillingness of people today to think for themselves. The critics are but ordinary theatre-goers who have rather more experience than the casual theatre-goer of what makes for popularity and a long run. They should, and usually do, have also the technical knowledge to say whether a play ...

... Sir. During the run of the four- character play, Murder Without Crime. at the Comedy. I under studied the two male leads, played by Raymond Lovell and Peter Croft. At various times, 1 played for both of them and this meant learning the entire play, as both parts were long and the other lines were cues. Can I, therefore, claim to be the only British actor to have played the two leading parts ...

... The Critics OIR, In your last issue Mr. Wax chastises the critics for their reviews of certain plays which they failed to appreciate. He mentions amongst others The Birthday Party and also quotes the Sunday Times critic of 1904. In fairness to the present critic of the Sunday Times' Harold Hob- son, he might also have noted that Mr. Hobson wrote about The Birthday Party that he would ...

... Understudy C'R, In reply to your leading article on understudies, as an ex-actress and once ardent playgoer, I would say, Choose the best material and pay accordingly. You may be casting bread upon the waters, which will return to you as a greai actor or actress By under rating an understudy, a great artist may be lost to the world! Somewhere in the early part of the century I went to see ...

... CIR, I was very interested in the letters regarding understudies and your leading article on the same subject. I do not think all the criticisms are valid, as I attended a matinee performance of Flower Drum Song and one of the leading parts was played by an understudy, who was word perfect and gave a very creditable performance. This leads me to suggest that the position of the understudies ...

... ROBERT YOUNG. Dear Sir, I AM Equity's oldest living mem ber (No. 2). I remember Its birth pangs and Its early struggles, but during all these years I have never felt surer of the justice of its cose than am now. I.T.V. say that Equity's pro posals would ruin the industry, but give no reasons to support this absurd statement. Whenever in the past we have sought to improve conditions of work ...

... A THEATRE SAVED! SIR. In view of the Minis ter's decision not to grant pcrmsMon for the plan involving the destruction of die Golden Green Hippodrome we feei our Committee has served its purpose and can now be disbanded^ Chough its members are keeping on the alert and should it become necessary at any time die Committee wiH immediately be re -established. After payment of expense* in volved in ...

... CIR. I fully endorse most of Mr. Michael Codron's views contained in his article in the stage. A Success or a Flop? It is very unfortunate that today, in an age when so many people arc only loo willing to be led. that certain critics use the forum of the national popular Press as a chcap means of displaying their somewhat warped journalistic talents, by treating their review first4y as a ...

... A Gap in Education SIR, The Education Authority seems to believe that the theatre in Great Britain is not worth preserving or else that it will be sufficiently preserved if allowed to shrink to the narrow dimension of mono-nationalism. Last week two school teams drawn respectively from the Girls of West Bridgford Grammar School, Nottinghamshire and the Boys of the Royal Belfast Academic ...

... HOW TO GET A JOB SIR--For twenty years I have been a stage-hand---a pursuit which even I am not idiot enough to enjoy. Ihe assets which I have accumu lated during that time are strictly intangible. Financially. I would have been little worse off bud I been continually on the dole instead of periodically: this is offset, how ever, by the opportunities I have had to observe the industry with its ...

... Admirable I consider Cinderella an admirable popular family television viewing item. Be sides, did we not have the pleasure of Fonteyn dancing in our sitting-rooms? More strength to Granada's elbow, then, to produce more but not too many carefully selected ballets for popular consumption. It really does not matter how much television demands change the format, once the Art is de monstrated ...

... CIVIC THEATRE CIR. A report in The Times of May 14 throws a disturbing light on the way in which the theatre may be affected by the see-saw of party politics. When the Nottingham City Council decided to spend £300,000 on building a civic theatre the Council was under Labour control. Bfore the recent municipal elec tions the local Conservatives appar ently announced that if they acquired ...