... 'Don't discolour entertainment' H SIR I am personal manager to Paul ^U Arden-Griffith who is currently per- H forming in John Redgrave's touring ^M show That Old Minstrel Magic. ^M With regard to Helen Gould's ^M report, Black-up ban after city race protest, {The Stage, September 10), I honestly do not believe that any mem ber of the British public could be offended by the content of this ...

... It's time to lighten up I SIR I wholeheartedly endorse the I sentiments of Melvin Kaye in his letter I (All things bright and tuneful, Stage I September 3) about good tunes and I bright happy shows. I I am also pleased to be able to I answer his questions: (a) Tony Hatch I (b) The new production of The Card I which has just completed its run at I The Watermill Theatre, Newbury. I Let's hope ...

... Oh boy, Roy, you played a blinder SIR Over the years, I have seen Roy Barraclough in several guises. Playing it straight in various stage produc- tions; hamming it up in drag with ^^M Les Dawson; lampooning comedy ^^fl roles as a panto Dame or Fairy; ^^T and, of course, as miserly pub ^H landlord Alec Gilroy in televi- ^H sion's Coronation Street irritat- ^H ing at times, yet kind, considerate ...

... Greatest love However, his final performance in the Street together with that of Julie Goodyear, as Bet when the parting of the ways had arrived, brought scenes of emo tional acting which I can never remember being achieved on television. Roy has gone back to his great est love the stage and will be greatly missed in a role in which, surely, he will never be forgotten. But lovers of the long ...

... Theatre that can be therapeutic ^M SIR In order to honour the truth of our company ^H London Playback Theatre I have found it necessary to ^H respond to the article about us in The Stage (Watching Your ^H Worst Memories in Action Replay, August 27). ^H Firstly there is an unfortunate judgmental slant towards ^H the more emotionally charged aspects of the Playback pro- ^H cess. Beginning with ...

... SIR,--Milton Johns' Why there is no reason for the director approach (Stage, September 17) is courageous, relevant and timely . The fact that the quality of the atre directing on the whole is poor was shown by the enquiry into the state of directing back in 1989 and little good its recommenda tions seem to have done since. In the section Working With Actors the enquiry' stated many directors ...

... Eldorado's ratings speak for themselves SIR While journalists and pub lic alike are maligning BBC telc- visions's new Spanish soap opera Lsldorado, it is instructive to examine the ratings. According to the industry's own Top 100 for week ending August 9, the show in fact had more viewers than Brookside, May to December, the Six O'clock News, Koseanne and the successful Neighbours. Furthermore ...

... The Mousetrap runs on the spot SIR Your Editorial (leader, August 27) reminds us of the change in atti tude between West End and regional runs. In your Production News you tell of the forthcoming tour of the comedv An Evening with Gary Lincker. At one time this did not happen, a tour of a play was either 'pre' or 'following London run.' However the excellent Dancing at Lughnasa continues at ...

... Lucky break in research into phrase SIR Regarding the recent let ters about the expression 'Break a leg,' I remember reading a magazine in the early thirties which gave what I like to think is the true origin. The phrase was supposed to have originated in the circuses during the Middle Ages, super stitions were many. If you wished ill-will or evil on anyone, you yourself would be punished by ...

... AGENTS' WARNING OVER 15% EURO FEE BY HELEN GOULD L_ group ih *n,ma mti p ...

... Thanks to all my friends SIR I would like to say a very' big thank you to all my friends in show biz for all the cards and get well messages they have sent to me since my heart attack in June. It is wonderful to know I have so many friends. Also a very big thank you to the help given to me by Equity Benevolent Fund, and not for getting my very dear friend Vic Baulton, Branch Secretary' of ...

... Give all hypnotists the reputation they deservee SIR--When will stage hypnotists be accepted as entertainers. 1 am |ust writing to let you know yet again that we hypnotists struggle everytime we want to entertain. When, oh when, will we be seen as harmless entertainers using audi ence participation. We don't have special powers, we don't put people into uncontrollable trances, we're not ...