... The Critics SIR, Your editorial of last week is far too kind to the dramatic critics The fact that Mr. Marriott's review in your columns of St. Joan of the Stockyards was fair, objective and appreciative, cannot be wholly attributed to the fact that he did not have to dictate it in the small hours of the same night to an impatient sub-editor. The treatment that this beautiful production has ...

... CIR. Your leadet recalled a practice often adopted by the late Andrf Chariot when he staged a revue. He opened at a Friday matinie. to be assured of three sets of considered notices in quick succession. If, he would say, they were good ones, he was off 10 a Hying start. If they were not, he would have the shortest possible time in which to know the worst. H. C. G. Stevens. 22 Orange Street, W.C.2. ...

... The City Varieties Dear Sir, I read with interest the review published in the current number of Television Today from Brian de Salvo re Old Time headed The Good Old Days, and I quite agree with him that accuracy is vital and perhaps the following might interest him and others. I worked the City Varieties, Leeds, way back in October 1907 and according to the tele vision series it does not ...

... Press Nights SIR,-- While there is something to be said for the policy adopted by Nottingham Playhouse of not inviting the Press to a new play until it has had time to settle down it still does not help in any way to overcome the critics' hurried and scrambled notice due to the time lactor laid down by some editors. Even if a critic attends the third night he will probably still have to ...

... SIR,-- Is there any significance, I wonder, in the fact that theatre plays are censored before, and films after their production? Television, of course, is only liable to a sort of running censor ship, consisting of members of the public who ring up the television companies at various pre-arranged moments, demanding the suppres sion of an offending piece of script that has just appeared on ...

... CIR,-- Bill Watls's letter in which he speaks of the great interest shown by the public in the current tour of The Maid of the Moun tains gives ample proof that there is a demand for the evergreen musicals, and should give the go- ahead for reviving more old musicals. Indeed, the time is ripe for re viving Careless Rapture Glam orous Night, The Lilac Domino, The Quaker Girl, The Ar ...

... Provincial Playgoers SIR,--It was with regret that I read of the Margate Stage Company's departure from Plymouth due to diminished support. However, I am not entirely surprised and feel that criticisms that the type of play produced by the company was too esoteric are probably only too well founded. 1 am merely an enthusiastic play goer and have no connection with the professional theatre. ...

... It Ran After All SIR, I thought Mr. Marriott's article To Keep ihe Secret or to Tell? most interesting. But I would like 10 point out lhat cer tainly one production has survived through the collaboration of the company in taking cuts when things looked bad.- This was Anthony and Anna at the Whitehall in 1935. A committee of players, managc- menl and others concerned enabled ihe show to ...

... Ask the viewers what they want Dear Sir, During the past weeks I have read with interest the letters and articles for and against the case of the new writer. Aspiring writers seem to me to have by-passed the real reason for their puzzlement and frus tration, i.e., that no self-respect ing beginner would think of submitting the rubbish that appears daily under the heading of drama, and so long ...

... 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 ...

... Watching too much Dear Sir, Now that the perennial controversy about breaking into television writing has reappeared in your columns it is as well to get one or two things straight. Most established writers are just as concerned as anyone else that new authors are finding it peratingly hard to break in. It is quite obvious to everyone in the industry that unless new writers can be found, ...

... Hack work inevitable Dear Sir, The Actor versus the Writer. As usually happens in any controversy, each side is spoiling its ease by overstating it. It must be difficult to be unbiased, but since I am an actor who has also written episodes for several series, perhaps I may be able to help. To start with, surely Mr. Sharpies is being a little ingenu ous. Anybody who has worked regularly in ...