... A repetition of the song, sung blues SIR,--How apposite your editorial was in your issue of October 31. Anyone who has attended showcases, or indeed read your coverage of them in these pages, will know of the depressing repetition of certain songs. But you are right. Can you blame the singer? Where is he or she supposed to get her modern 'standards' from? This is to my mind one of the most ...

... Contracts fall below standard SIR,--I refer to Tony Forward's reply to my letter concerning the state of the agency business. Whereas I am grateful for the concern shown by CEAC regrettably his comments and suggestions do not go far enough. Whereas I would in no way wish to question the sincerity of his 'Check List' I am prised by its naivete. Mr Forward suggests that artists check that an ...

... Learning to live with corporate sponsorship SIR,- Your reply to the letter from Mark Hunt of Cockspur rum illus trates eloquently what is wrong with what can be called the anti-sponsor- ship/'artistic integrity' lobby. There is no other industry which looks upon its funders with such contempt. Businesses do not consider sponsor ship as philanthropic support for the arts, but as an investment ...

... Directors address that age old problem SIR,- Do directors ever read the plays they direct? In Act Two of The Three Sisters, Masha tells us that she was marned off at 1 8. In Act Three, her husband adds that they have been married for seven years. So, by that juncture, Masha is 25 years old. Sinead Cusack, the actress playing Masha in the recent revival, is 4 1 this year. Lynn Redgrave, who ...

... Fielding says farewell to Monty SIR, Re your article, issue of August 9, on Bermans. The new managing director is, I quote: keen to improve the authen ticity of period costumes made in the workrooms Not infrequently one can be stag gered at comments in The Stage about matters theatrical, but this quote sure ly beats them all. It could be a source for laughter if it were not such an affront to ...

... Thanks for the cards SIR, Having recently come out of hospital, where I underwent a major operation, after nearly three months, I should like to say thank you to all those friends in the business, over 300 of them, who sent get-well cards. It is extremely encouraging when one is ill to know that there are so many people thinking of you and sending good wishes. Peter Sontar 6 Hillside >ardens ...

... Money matters in the media SIR, Regarding the televising of the atre productions, November 8, 1 was surprised to read that David Aukin (Head of Channel 4 Drama) is against such enterprise and believes that: The money should be spent on send ing the plays around the theatres of Britain Surely the prime objectives of such an initiative are, at the end of the day, to spend money in order to ...

... 'Give us a well deserved break' SIR, So the Television Diarist is not averse to pouring his vitriolic scorn on the spelling abilities of certain ducks (Television Diary.October 18). Last week he delivered a mindless attack on the much-loved and popu larly-reviled Jason Donovan, pawkily positing that the golden boy of the British public was a complete simple ton. It has long been a custom in ...

... 'Let's hear it for bill' SIR, The Michael Davis letter in last week's Stage, regarding the tags that went on Variety artists billing, triggered off the old mem ory buds about those wonderful acts and the never to be forgotten entertainment they gave. Here are a few that come to mind, and I hope bring back some nostalgia. Max Miller The cheeky chap pie, Will Hay and his scholars Inkstains ...

... Leisure gets bullish SIR,--In recent months a great deal of coverage has been given to the need for leisure to sneak with one voice. Surely we are expecting too much from the plethora of leisure organisa tions, asking them to form together into some sort of starfleet federa tion, when we still have different gov ernment spokesmen for Sport, Arts and Tourism? The difficulty appears to be in ...

... When all else failed SIR,--Equity's response to our casting of South African actor. Patrick Shai, to play the lead in the BBC film Land of Dreams is profoundly disappointing (Stage February 15). Neither I nor anyone else associated with the project, is antipathetic to Equity's duty to protect its members' interests, but there are rare occasions when the economic self-interest of one group must ...

... How do you get in touch? SIR,--Can you help me, an ordinary Equity member, to contact our elected representatives on the Equity Council? On February 14, 1 took in copies of the letter below to all councillors, individually addressed do Equity, with 'Personal' on the envelope: I am one of those members who will be voting for an Equity-run Job In formation Service, for all members regardless of ...