... SIR,--I would like to make a few points in response to Flyman's article entitled 'Give us a fiver for every time we've heard that idea,' published on August 20. I believe this article was referring to TECS agency, of which I am the director. I am sure that the idea of start ing an ageVicy for technical staff was not a revelation known only to myself but TECS does appear, as you correctly point ...

... SIR,--Desmond Rayner's letter (Weathering the storm, August 20) is a reminder that there is nothing new under the sun and that everything, if given time, is cyclical. I he parlous state of the dramatic- theatre towards the middk of the last century led to vast numbers of former Georgian houses closing permanently as business slumped. Complacency, bad acting, frequent use of paying novices in ...

... 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 ...

... Supporting role SIR As the umbrella organisation for over 500 independent Talking Newspaper groups, we are embarking on a campaign to promote awareness of this essential service for visually impaired people. We would therefore be pleased to hear from any readers who may have had some involvement with a local TN (perhaps as a reader) and who would be prepared to give moral support to our Tony ...

... Looking to past musical performances SIR The ailing musical stage should travel back, back, back, to the begin ning of this century, when there were romantic, colourful and tuneful shows such as:- The Desert Song, The Student Prince, The Maid Of The Mountains, The White Horse Inn, The Vagabond King, Lilac Time, New Moon, and others. Witness the great success John Hanson enjoyed when he revived ...

... 'Let's hear it for a good old fashioned quality tune' SIR Bravo Stephen Citron for your superb article on quality HI musicals (Stage July 30). Yes a good musical will always get HI through a recession as can be proved by the incredible success HI of 42nd Street in the provinces playing to full houses in the ^M most depressed areas. The reason for its popularity is obvious it provides the Hj ...

... 'Next time you take a ticket, remember we live here too' SIR--With reference to your article West End hit by clampdown (Stage July 16), as an Equity member and a resident of the West End I would like to answer Peter Finch's question, How many (Camdcn) residents arc there in the West End itself? and respond to his idea that the plans to extend residents' parking hours to 8.30pm should not ...

... SIR, The Edinburgh Fringe is ironically the worst advertisement for the theatre that there is. Whilst the arts are labouring with perpetual under-funding, the Fringe is able to mount over 1 ,000 events without recourse to the public purse. This surely will not go unnoticed as the next round of Arts Council requirements is pondered over by the Treasury. The contrast between the financial ...

... Grand design SIR I agree with Robert Luff about the importance of a welcoming theatre atmosphere for its audience. I was struck by this at the tastefully redecorated Dominion theatre when I was booking a ticket for Grand Hotel. You felt that you were booking into a grand hotel and when I arrived for the matinee, the front of house staff were uniformed very much as in a twenties top hotel. ...

... If you can solve this, you'll give us a break. SIR Re: Break a Leg. I wonder if you can assist as I am trying to find out the correct derivation of this expression. So far I have been given one from BBC Radio and two via Yorkshire H TV's Countdown programme as follows: 1 John Wilk.cs Booth, an out-of-work actor, put on his own show. Having shot I President Lincoln, he jumped down to I the ...