... Frankly magnificent Listening to First Night's brilliant recording of the National Theatre's production of Candida (CAST CD 75) crystallises one's thoughts about why this Leonard Bernstein musical has had such a difficult task in finding a place in the pantheon of great shows. A literary masterpiece has been coupled with the music of one of the leading 20th century composers and in many ways ...

... Celebrating the ladies of song First Night's The Divas Collection (OCRCD 6057) is a compilation of many of the best songs from the company's growing catalogue of cast albums. It is significant that most of the greatest numbers in musicals from the twenties onwards have been sung by women, and even a short list of the items on this CD will prove the point, I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy ...

... Parallel Lines Gerald Berkowitz The Pit In Theatre Cryptic's take on the last chapter of James Joyce's Ulysses, the role of Molly Bloom is divided among an actress (Sheelagh O'Kane), a singer (Monica Brett-Crowther), and two musicians (Jenny Scott and Anthea Haddow). According to a programme note by director Cathie Boyd, they are meant to represent, respec tively, the conscious and uncon ...

... Discs bring past to life Spoken word records are not usually the province of this column but an exception must be made for Naxos' excellent four-CD set on The History of the Theatre, (NA 419922). Invaluable for students, but of considerable interest to actors and members of the theatregoing public, particularly as it is narrated by Derek Jacobi at his most mellifluous. It has been written ...

... Musical masters return It is strange to discover that two discs released on LP by the specialist Overtures label 20 years ago now turn up on a new American label dedicated to musical theatre, Bayview. Moreover, both of them could hardly be more English. They celebrate the work of two writers who took the British musical by storm in the fifties, Sandy Wilson and Julian Slade, remembered now ...

... The Comedy of Errors Stratford-upon-Avon Lynne Parker's interpretation at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is so inventively acted that an audience could follow the story even if ft did not understand the words. And given the complexity of the plot, this is quite an achievement. It is gloriously funny, with a teasing musical score and some equally teasing effects. The action takes place in an ...