... SIR. I am seeking stories, both sad and gay, of life in bed sitters, as experienced by actors and actresses. Suitable stories will be published in a new enlarged reprint of The Bed-Sitter Tribe. Yours faithfully. Armand Georges 13 Colnemead. Rickmansworth. Herts. ...

... SIR, I am collating material prior to Ihe preparation of a definitive biography of . I should be most grateful to you if through the medium of your columns any associate of the late Mr. Novello or any person with personal reminiscences of Mr. Novello's artistic life could offer me their assistance. The biography will deal prin cipally with Mr. Novello's literary and musical achievements, and ...

... SIR, 1 have noted with interest Frank Hauser's letter on the subject of duplicated play lilies because working both in the iheatre and in film production, I think I can suggest a solution to his prob lem. Why do not the Theatrical Mana gers' Association institute the same system as utilised successfully by ihe British Film Producers' Association whereby Production Companies and, indeed, ...

... 'Prior to London' SIR.--is it not now time to get rid of this prior to London lark which impresarios seem to enjoy inflicting on provincial audiences? All the farce about shaping a play on its way is reminiscent of early Victorian days. I know the theatre is old. but surely K need not be so old as to continue with all the old trappings. Almost every other kind of entertainment has to be ...

... National Theatre Sm, In the past few weeks I have been interviewed rather a lot I about the National Theatre and I I can't remember exactly which microphone encounter produced the comparison with the British 1 Museum which you mention in your j editorial of October 24. I do, however, recall being asked 1 whether the British people wanted a National Theatre, to which I replied (borrowing a line ...

... A Lecocq Operetta DEVIVALS of operettas as gay as Lecocq 's La Fille de Madame Angot are rarities, and any company adventurous enough to attempt a stage pro duction deserves respect, as does the BBC Club Operatic Society who presented this work at the Guildhall School on April 25. Lecocq was a contemporary of Offenbach, and his music has much of the liveliness associated with Offenbach's ...

... Moments-- But Lacking in Fusion THE performance of La Boheme at Covent Garden last Saturday, ably conducted by Edward Downes, while having some memorable moments, did not give th£ impression of the perfect fusion of forces lifting the printed score with happy in evitability to the stage. This was partly due to the un balance of the four main charac ters: whereas Alain Vanzo as Rodolfo and ...

... Technicians SIR,-- I should like to add to the very interesting series of articles and letters dealing with theatre technicians in your recent issue. Financial inducements apart, more interest might be brought into the work of these people by the following plan. It would require the co-operation of NATKE, the ABTT, Society of West End Theatre Managers and the Licensing Authorities, all of whom ...

... Going to the Theatre SIR,-- You ask How often do you go to the theatre? and Who are the actors who appeal? My answer is that I go as often as possible to the theatre, but, as I live in the provinces, I have to sec what happens to be on at either Leeds or Bradford. There are very few possibilities for re-visiting shows as most of them are either on pre- West End or post-West End tours and ...

... Magicians and their animals Dear Sir, As a magician who has presented dove magic on television I feel I must comment on the report in last week's Television Today concerning a campaign to ban magicians using live animals and birds on television. The R.S.P.C.A. member is re ported to have said that she did not know how the tricks worked or how the birds and animals were compressed into hats and ...

... If they mean no, why don't they say so? Dear Sir, As far as I am concerned and all the other professionals I know, Television Today is the recognized help, safeguard and adviser for us all. Therefore may 1 please draw your attentiton to a matter (without appearing selfishly biased) that I and a lot of other artists have been irritated and annoyed about for a very long time now. It seems to ...

... Multi-Dreadful Purpose SIR.--It always takes the theatrical profession a long time before a protest is made about the conditions under which they are enforced to work, consequently I was both surprised and delighted by the continuing emphatic outcry against the rash of multi-purpose halls. A bad venue is a greater danger to the future of the professional theatre in the provinces than most ...