... There's more to commitment than three years in drama school SIR, For Mr Smith (and nine others) to be able to claim that the Equity Catch 22 thing is silly, it is obvious that none of them ever spent weeks preparing for a regional audition, impressed the directors involved, only to be asked Are you Equity? and then to be shown the door, with profuse gies and qualifications, when the ...

... Respect for negro dignity is not loony SIR, 1 refer to the letter, when Making Up Is Hard To Do, (April 9). I fail to see what is loony about wanting a just society for all which respects people's human dignity and does not parade tham as ludicrous racial stereotypes, in this case the happy, smiling nigger. It may suit his purposes to portray black people in such a way (perhaps he should re ...

... Liberal axe swipe is a pre-election warning SIR, The disgraceful action of the Liberal-controlled Tower Hamlets au thority in annihilating their arts budget (and with that jobs, expertise, and the carefully constructed web of matching funding from other bodies such as GLA and the Arts Council) only serves to highlight what many have always be lieved, that the Alliance is much further to the ...

... No banned posters in Greenwich SIR, I refer to your review of Rose Marie and Friends, on page 5 of the April 9 issue of The Stage, by Mick Green. I would be grateful if you would point out for the benefit of your readers and Mr Green that the Lewisham Theatre is in the London Borough of Lewisham, that Greenwich Council is not the local council and no ban on posters for the show was imposed by ...

... Jesus Christ Superstar 'cheated' audience SIR, On Tuesday, March 31,1 went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, to find I was watching not a company of actors or singers as one might expect, but a troupe of mime artists. It seemed as if the whole of the musical was taped, with the exception of the two priests' pans which, in all fairness, were played very well. I ...

... Names that count SIR, Your readers will have read elsewhere in your paper that the Equity Council removed the ban on sales of recorded performances to South Africa one week and put it back the next. May I, through your columns, thank all those who so rapidly responded to my call for an S.G.M.? We raised 300 signatures in less than a week and they are still coming in. The Council reversed their ...

... Mishon accomplished SIR, On behalf of the four hundred people who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm to bring about the Charity Gala performance of Mack Mabel at the Aldwych Theatre in London on July 1 1984, I would like the record put straight that Barry Mishon 's proposed one-night charity concert is not the first time in the show's history that it has appeared in Britain. I am sure that ...

... Arts and the economy SIR, Far from 'shunning' a govern ment report on the arts industry, as Brian Attwood (Stage: February 19) suggests, the Arts Council would wel come any further evidence of the econo mic importance of the arts to Britain. The Council made a powerful case along these lines in its bid to Government for funding for the current financial yer in its prospectus, A Great British ...

... Circus ban SIR, Are we going to have another series of letters about circuses, I wonder? There is a great gap between what your correspondent P. Brown calls crank campaigns and inane council lors and caring animal-lovers, who don't belong to the Animal Rights Organisations. Yes, circuses are open for all to see, including training areas, but the actual training is not there for all to see, ...

... Avoiding the curtain up crush SIR, Is it not about time that the theatre industry geared itself to the requirements of the general public? I have recently booked for theatres using Barclay card. I was then told that the tickets could not be sent through the post and I have to go to the box office on the night of the performance to collect them in person. The whole idea of missing the pre- ...

... Joseph's disciples SIR The lady who reviewed Bill Kcnwright's production of Joseph in last week's Stage surely mutt stand alone in her opinion of Mike Holoway. Uncharismatic is a word I fail to associate with this young man whose blatant good looks and superb voice have made him the star of this excitingly energetic production, and assured him of a huge following throughout the UK. The ...

... BBC's roadshow 'insult' SIR, I am writing to air my views on the new series, The Tom O'Connor Roadshow, shown Monday to Friday each week and in my opinion shown five days too many. It is the biggest load of toot I've ever seen and it amazes me that the BBC have nothing better to invest their money in. Do they really believe that this programme meets the basic standards thai the daily viewers ...