... Buffery sows seeds THE ROYAL Shakespeare Com pany's assistant director in Strat ford, Bill Buffery, is to take over as the new artistic director of the Orchard Theatre from mid January. He will succeed Nigel Bryant, who will leave for a post with the BBC in Birmingham as a radio drama producer after five years in which saw the audience treble. A spokesman for the company said Buffery would ...

... Spring term HUMPHREY LYTTLETON and his Band start off the spring term of concerts at University College School, Hampstcad on January 26. The Top Brass Jazz Orchestra directed by Bob Wheal, with vocal ists Dennis Lotis and Lee Gibson, follow on February 2, Canadian saxophonist Jim Galloway on February 9, Adelaide Hall (Febru ary 23) and the Jean Toussaint Quartet (March 2). ...

... Dench talks JUDI DENCH speaks at the first 1989 meeting of the Gallery First Nighters Club on January 8, to he held at 7. 15 pm at the Club for Acts and Actors, 20 Bedford Street, WC2. ...

... Max dates FOLLOWING his pantomime season at the New, Cardiff, Max Boyce goes straight into a tour opening at the Willows, Salford on February 8. Subse quent dates are at Hull, Hatfield, Milton Keynes (Stantonbury Leisure Centre), Corby, Buxton, Preston, Wol- verhampton, Kenil worth (Chesford Grange), Newcastle, Gallashiels, York, Chatham, Fareham, Crawley, Nor wich, Gorseinon, Usk (Sawas), ...

... Laughter Pils BRITAIN'S FIRST international comedy festival will be launched in February, with the aim of discover ing new British and international comic talent. Sponsored by Holsten Pils, the Holsten Funny Business Festival will open in London on February 24 and is being hailled as London's answer to Montreal's Just for Laughs festival. Running until March 1 1 the festival will be held in ...

... Over to Mum's place HUNSTANTON'S Princess Theatre, the first theatre in the country to be named especially in honour of the Princess of Wales, received a visit from Princess Diana herself, with Prince William and Prince Harry, and the Princess Royal and her two children, when a party of 14 motored over from Sandringham to see a matinee performance of the pantomime Cinderella. It was a private ...

... New beginnings JANE HARRISON, the 25-year- old soprano who was the winner of last year's Bob Says Opportunity Knocks, has signed a worldwide recording contract with Stylus Music, who released her first album, New Day, on December 12. Since her win the Royal North ern College of Music graduate has been busy with solo recitals and has sung at the Barbican with the London Symphony Orchestra. ...

... Dancers watch out for third Digital Partners Programme DANCERS across the country are pinning their hopes on the re-emergence, for the third year running, of the Digital Partners in Dance Programme which offers £1.3 million in sponsorship to new talent, the largest UK sponsorship of a single performing art. The Digital Partners in Dance, launched in 1986, has already been awarded the ...

... Note of despair THE BOURNEMOUTH Sym phony Orchestra may be forced to quit the town because of the lack of a suitable venue. The BSO, which expects to re ceive more than £100,000 in sub sidies from Bornemouth council this year, is worried over the future of the Winter Gardens. Chief Executive David Richardson siad, The Winter Gardens is the only suitable venue for the BSO. If we cannot play ...

... Dame you couldn't make it BILLY Whittaker, still fondly re garded as one of the great British pantomime dames, was forced to pull out of a Christmas show for only the second time in over 40 years. The Ryde-based comedian and his wife, Mimi Law. travelled to the City Varieties, Leeds, to appear in Jack and the Beanstalk, but he had not recovered sufficiently from his recent slight stroke and ...

... Arts winners will be 'in the money' By YASMINE KARTAL BRITAIN'S richest ever annual arts awards are being launched this year, with £100,000 on offer to the winning company and at least £1 million in sponsorship over three vears. The awards are sponsored for the first I time by Prudential, in association with the Arts Council, and are open to any non-profit making arts organisation in the ...

... Harry's in charge HARRY BECKETT, more often seen in other people's bands, leads his own quartet on a Jazz Services tour starting at the Corner House, Newcastle on January 17, with dates at Preston, Manchester, Liverpool, London (ICA), Derby, Cardiff, Sheffield, Aberysrwyth, Bristol, Gloucester, Warminster and Yeovil to follow. Beckett's quartet features Chris McGregor (piano), Fred Thelo- ...