... SIR, I was really delighted to see an advertisement about auditions for the new Warhol production. If only more man agements would follow this ex ample. At the moment, news of audi tions seems to be known only to agents who pass on the in formation to a chosen few. So many of us never hear of audi tions, therefore have no chance of the job! Sincerelv LIZ SMITH The Playhouse, Butlin's, Clacton. ...

... EQUITY ATTITUDE SIR. In his letter of September 12, Derek Bond correctly sets out a resolution recently carried overwhelmingly by the present Equity Council. This quite simply restates Equity's traditional attitude towards affiliation to the TUC and represents no change whatsoever in the policy of the union as it has been laid down and accepted by an overwhelming majority of our members for ...

... Actors and their N.I. contributions IVar ^ir It would be beneficial to your readers in the profession, if the new practice of charging National Insurance on repeats, residuals and overseas sales were explained. These additional fees are not for additional employment but rather a sort of bonus. It is as a result of these fees that we accept the rates of pay we are getting. If I work a week this ...

... No Equity casting dept for extras and walk-ons Dear Sir, The Equity sub-committee for extras, walk-on and small-part artists in television has been informed that certain agents are under the erroneous impression that Equity is contemplating opening its own casting department for members working in this field. As vice-chairman of this com mittee, I wish to categorically deny this suggestion. ...

... A Mouthpiece? SIR,--Des Wilson in his article on waste in subsidised companies adopts a familiar, sentimental tone. It's White House paranoia, last heard when a President tried to hold out that he stood far the truth--until his cover was blown. Does Mr Wilson speak for himself in this article, or is he the mouth piece of the directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company? When he says, ...

... Handle with care? SIR, For Frederick Jaeger to repeat by implication the fiction that the present Equity Council can take the credit for the recent successes in negotiations with the BBC, com mercial radio and the new Provincial Theatre Contract is very much in line with the dishonest claim made in a recent CRAPE advertisement that the Rules Revision Committee were UNANIMOUSLY in favour of the ...

... 'Harmful' discos SIR, 1 read with great interest James Hartley Speaks Out (THE STAGE, March 22), concerning the harm discos can do. Having been on both sides of the fence, once as roadie to a very suc cessfully roaming disc jockey, and now as an entertainer working the clubs, maybe I can make a couple of observations. The figure quoted by Mr Hartley of £500 upwards for a week's work by a DJ is ...

... No time allowed SIR,--In reply to the article in the Tavistock column (March 8), concerning the Los Jaivas jazz rock concert at the Shaftesbury, I would like to raise the following points since I was the lighting board operator during this time. First, there was not just a shortage of rehearsal time, but no rehearsal time whatsoever. Second, there were no lighting states given to me before the ...

... Sad indictment of subsidised theatre SIR.--How is it that a theatre like the Coliseum, Oldham, can encourage new writing by including no fewer than THREE new plays in their current season, and already have new plays lined up for the following, when most of our provincial theatres seem to avoid new drama like the plague? With the current state of the Lon don theatre would it not be even more ...

... Musical money name SIR, It is ironic that while the spotlight has been on My Fair Lady, which is backed by the Arts Council to the tune of £45,000, an other successful musical revival has taken to the road with virtually no subsidy at all The Desert Song So wrote Brian Percy in his com plimentary review of the latest John Hanson presentation (THE STAGE March 8). John Hanson would have been ...

... Good on yer, Barry! SIR. I see in THE STAGE that our darling and devoted Dame Edna is graciously condescending to give her time and talent to that most worthy of causes the Save London's Theatres Campaign. I do sincerely hope that everyone possible will turn out in force in answer to Dame Edna's call. But in all seriousness it is really, I think, a nice gesture on Barry's part. G. stephen ...

... SILENCE IS GOLDEN? SIR, During the recent strikes by stage staff at the National and Coliseum theatres we heard no public word of condemnation by the MU or Equity. The Chorus dispute over The Trojans has brought no reproof from the MU or NATTKE. Now the MU dispute at the Coliseum has been tolerated in silence by the other two unions. Whether each union has a death wish or a holier than thou ...