... Equity SIR,--The staff attitude of Equity is well portrayed by Stephen Sylvester when he begins, ''I have always suspected the motives, and then ends his letter without reminding your readers that he was formerly Mr Croasdell's tant. With regard to my letter in The Scotsman during the Living Wage Campaign, this had nothing to do with wages nor did I depreciate Equity's efforts to tnprove ...

... No mere mini-film Dear Sir, That Miss Frith should dismiss the idea of the television play and that Mr Coulter should plead for its retention merely as a substitute for the real thing--the Theatre Play--just won't do at all. Both in the theatre and television there are pieces of drama and there are plays. The medium is not important but the difference is. The play is a unique animal and, as ...

... SIR,--I was astounded to hear from Hugh Jenkins M.P. on the telephone that he was not consulted before Gerald Croasdell gave his disastrous advice to the Equity Council to register under the IRA. He has authorised me to state this. Why do we retain a parliamen tary dog and insist on barking ourselves? And why does the Council insist that no one shall know the names of those that voted for and ...

... SIR,--Alex McCrindle in his letter attacks the Equity Council for reversing the earlier decision to come off the Register of Unions under the Industrial Relations Act. As his letter seems to me to be full of innuendos and fog, I should like to make one or two clear points. First, the Casting , so vital to actors, are to remain in force. A few terms and phrases will be changed, but the ...

... SIR, I was fascinated to read that Alex McCrindle has resigned from the Council of Equity to make Equity a political Union an aim he openly and honestly declared in Council some months ago while I have resigned for precisely the opposite reason: to prevent it becoming one. The description of Equity's prehistory, in his letter, is as wildly inaccurate and irrelevent as is that of the present ...

... The Tommy Steele hour Dear Sir, I am delighted to know that K. P. Summers (25.5.72) is a regular reader of Television Today. The more strange, then, that he (or might it be she?) has not realised that it is a newspaper for professionals and that its reviews are intended not for the public at large, but for those who bear the responsibil ity of maintaining standards. The inevitable result is ...

... Disaster Sir, During the debate at the Equity special meeting, held at the Adelphi Theatre on April 23 two very important possi bilities were omitted to be aired. (1) Should we stay registered, the possible hard ening towards us and lack of co-operation by other entertain ment unions, such as the Musicians Union, ACTT, FAA and NATKE, who have all de- registered and are well prepared to follow ...

... Plays Dear Sir, I would like to bring to the notice of Lillian Frith (Tele vision Today March 16) that the dictionary definition of the word Play, is dramatic piece or performance, as well as to act on the stage therefore I would suggest that Television has every right to use the word Play. 1 agree that they are mini films, but to people like myself, Living in an area with no professional ...

... Robson Sir, I am writing a life of the great Frederick Robson, famous at the Royal Olympic Theatre from 1853-1862 in extravaganzas, and should be grateful for any letters or information your readers might have other than easily-acces sible printed sources, which would be acknowledged and returned. Frederick Robson the younger was his son, and E. M. Robson either his son or his nephew; both ...

... Portraits Sir, May we draw Cecil Madden's attention to several books, as he complains of the lack of a list of portraits in public collections. The Catalogue of Theatrical Portraits in London Public Collections was published by. the Society for Theatre Re search in 1961. This excluded the Maugham Collection, which was fully covered by our own The Artist and the Theatre in 1955. These paintings ...

... Eileen Atkins Sir, I was astounded to read that Eileen Atkins was jeered off the stage at Wimble don Theatre. I would like to know what kind of person it is, who has not the good manners to just walk out on a play if it offends, or for other reasons, instead of having to shout abuse at the actors, who work so hard to entertain us. Please God, the theatre audiences are not going to imitate ...

... The BBC and the regions Dear bir, I see no reason why Charles Mander should despair. (17.2.72). Certainly I share his sense of disgust at the havoc wrought at metropolitan hands by that iniquitous document Broadcasting in the Sev enties. Having been in charge of BBC radio drama in the North Region in the early 'fifties I am only too well aware of what was recklessly thrown away by the ...