... pjANCER Clare liardman, of Ros- sendale (Lancashire) last year underwent a hole-in-the-heart operation at Manchester. And for her first professional engagement since the operation she became a member of the 12-strong Fox- Miller troupe in the pantomime Mother Goose which has just completed its four week run at Sunderland Empire. ...

... Ice, Musical Comedy and Variety Feature this Year THE Wizard of Oz, the ice spectacle which is currently at Wembley's Empire Pool is to go on the Moss Empire circuit when it finishes its season at the arena. Opening at Glasgow Empire on March 5, it plays for a month at each venue. Dates include Manchester Palace from April 3, Liverpool Empire from May 1 and Birmingham Hippodrome from May 28. ...

... FOLLOWING the lead given by Frankie Vaughan. his Fan Clubs throughout the country have been, for the past three or four years, very active in organis ing events in aid of Frankie's pet charity. Boys' Clubs. The latest effort of the London branch is a Gala Dance to be held at the Victoria Halls (South), Blooms- bury Square, W.C.2., on Febru ary 9 when dancing will be to Billy Ternent's ...

... LINES FROM LANCS by James Hartley IT is rumoured that ballet-trained ex-TV Topper Elaine Bolton is due to take on an engagement of a nonprofessional character--to Ukrainian dancer Wasyl Kowalenko. Nineteen-year-old Elaine was one of the most promising pupils ever to be enrolled at the famed Sadler's Wells school where she went with shining praise from her teachers and such authorities as ...

... BARROW audiences lapped up the situation comedy of A Dogs Life, which had its premifcre at Her Majesty's, Barrow, on Tuesday. mis is tne intra piay ny narrow- born Ron Watson, who drew upon his easily recognisable fund of Northern humour to provide a per sonal touch to the action. Set in the home of a newly retired neswagent, Ben Carter, the play revolves round two things a pregnant poodle ...

... THIS GIRL HELEN SHAPIRO-SHE COULD BE A STAR One thought while watching the new Adam Faith Show THEY say that Adam was the first man-- and he might be first in somebody's book, but not in mine alas. (Adam Faith-- BBC-tv September 19th.) If audience reaction is any thing to go on and of course it generally is not then he made a big hit with his ren dering of numbers both of the vintage wine ...

... SAM BENEDICT NO doubt the pious and pals of Pilkington will have plenty to say about the fact that two American shows were screened in succession at a peak viewing time. But I maintain rather two good importations than one bad home-grown product. And on Thursday night we were treated to two slick pro ductions one a comedy (re viewed above) and the other a serious hour-long legal- loophole ...

... Good pay-off THE TYCOONS AFTER absorbing so many examples of how superintelligent and omniscient the men from other worlds are, it was refreshing to see in the last of the Out of This clumsy, and prone to the lures of sex and big money as the mere earth-bound beings. The Tycoons was a stylish production by Charles Jar- rott, and extremely well cast. Apart from the extra-terres- -I tial ...