... SIR--Why, oh why do not the televisioncompanies give more 'air time' to jazz, by that I mean live jazz? Jazz-js becoming more popular to a wider audience and surely it cries out for a weekly spot on the box. There are many musicians up and down the country who play in pubs, clubs etc and play to a high standard and should be given visual 'air time'. The pro jazz musicians do indeed pop up ...

... We mind our language--could you mind yours? SIR--l am quite frankly astonished that Grafton Radcliffe (Make yourselves understood, January 30) is set upon broadcasting the very approach and attitude to Wales and the Welsh people which moved the weisn Equity memoersnip ana many friends across the water (the Severn sorry) to ensure that, come hell or high water, he would no longer represent ...

... Lee appeal final total SIR The Broadcasting Press Guild Appeal on behalf of the family of the late Harvey Lee closed at the end of January with a total of £3,650. I would like to thank all readers of The Stage who contributed so gener ously to this splendid amount. Richard Last (Treasurer. BPG) Wolong Surrey ...

... Let's keep tabs on our space SIR--Back in the good old days, when touring was the norm, technicians and production managers used to keep their own files on performance venues visited throughout their careers. This information was of course, useful mainly to themselves and the companies they worked for, and since many have now left the profession or no longer tour, these records are, to all ...

... There is still a warm welcome in the hillside SIR Criticism of Scottish Theatres casting policy is, in the case of the Byre Theatre, misin formed. At no time has the Byre policy been to exclude non- Scottish actors. The policy is quite simply to employ Scottish based actors (regardless of nationality) where possible. This does not aim to exclude any actor from outside Scotland, but instead ...

... Teaching the sceptics a thing or two SIR --As the lecturer whose membership of the ABTT Council Flyman finds so unfortunate, (August 6), I should like to assure him that my only suit gets no more of an airing in my present position than it did in my days as a production manager just over five years ago. At that time I was given the opportunity to play a larger pan in the training of up and ...

... Leg's get to a fitting explanation SIR Re: Break a Leg, August 1 3. I agree with the third suggestion for the origin of the above expression. My understanding is that when you wished someone Hals und Beinbruch you hoped that the gods would be lis tening and, since the gods were always contrary and would always be likely to do the opposite to whatever you wanted, they would be unlikely to ...

... Weathering the storm SIR -- I would be the last person to suggest that cries of woe relating to the current economic state of the theatre are without foundation, but perhaps the following might add confidence to a doubtful future. While recently researching through some back copies of Theatre World, a deep mine of valuable infor mation when solid background material is needed for a work of ...

... Acting out of habit does you no good SIR,--Once again, the Act for Equity party machine has done its work and they have 45 of their members on the Council. The independents have marginally improved their position with 21. The A for E advert in The Stage exhorted members to vote for all their candidates. Not a word about reading their statements they sim ply demanded crosses against names. ...

... Lost in translation SIR--I am grateful, as I am sure my fellow-translator Eivor Martinius is, to Anna Carteret for her apology for not crediting us with the translations of the two Strindberg plays which she directed at the King's Head. But this tells only half the story. Nobody asked our permission to use the translations, and had Mrs Martinius not dropped in to see the show, recognised ...

... Demonstration of how to be critical SIR, I am interested in the ongoing debate on theatre criticism and particularly in the editorial response (The Stage, December 3) referring to 'demonstrable truth' and 'the philosophical problem.' There is another demonstrable truth in theatre criticism, which is to do with the question of whether or not the text of a play has been realised or actuated. In ...

... In a world of their own SIR,--The relationship between the NCDT accredited drama schools and our profession is as tightly interwoven as that of the schools of the Headmasters Conference and the 'Establishment' Old boys and girls from both spend a good part of their lives struggling to maintain member ship of both. The NCDT whilst unaccountable, self imposed, and self perpetuating remains ...