... Blues under blanket SIR, Graham Simpson (of the Musicians' Union, Stoke-on-Trent) is obviously seeing blues under the blanket with his panic talk of a grand Tory plan to destroy the Trade Union Movement; but as he is sufficiently ill- informed as to associate William Maxwell with Act for Equity (Maxwell will not be amused) we may rise above it. What most deserves comment in his letter to you ...

... Bernadette bites back SIR,--Not for the first time. Tabard in the Chit Chat column, has made snide comments about out new show, Bernadette, five months before it opens at The Dominion in Tottenham Court Road in London on June 14. In his column last week (February 8) he dismisses it as charming. If he had made even the most cursory inquiry about the nature of the musical he would know that ...

... All or nothing at all SIR,--May I introduce myself as modestly as possible as a regular writer of potential hit plays, a potential of course all too seldom realised by the theatrical entrepreneural numbskulls amongst us? i nave long tneoriscd by impregn able logic that these aforementioned gentry, who would make Neanderthals appear as Jonathan Millers, are quite bereft of the least literary ...

... Feeling upset at the time SIR, It seems that the article on Seagulls Over Sorrento (The Stage, October 10) 'put the cat amongst the pigeons'. I would like to make it quite clear thta this was never intended to be an attack on Walter Jokel (of Portman Theatrical Productions). As I am sure your readers will appreciate, it was more than a great shock to the cast to suddenly be placed in the ...

... Searching for long memories SIR, I wonder whether any of your readers have any memories of my grandparents, Ben Packham and Very Ray, both involved in the professional theatre in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The only programme I have of theirs is of Miss Vera Ray's no. 1 company touring with Aladdin, which is undated, but my uncle thinks it was probably about 1910-12. At thta time ...

... You, me and Both SIR, Noel Coward once wrote: Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage Mrs Worthington, he should have added send her to Sporting Clubs instead. Cricketer Ian Botham treads the boards in Pantomime along with Liz Hobbs, ex-world water-skiing champi on, while Annabel Croft, ex-tennis player is performing in repertory. Perhaps the acting curriculum should be changed to ...

... A brighter future ahead SIR, I am obliged to write after read ing the letter from James Ottaway which appeared in 77k Stage, October 1 1, concerning the RSC closure. There is a fourth category of employees at the Barbican of which Mr Ottaway is obviously not aware, namely myself, an electrician, who will be joining actors in the dole queue on Monday, November 5. I first worked at The Pit in ...

... SIR, Regarding Sidney Vauncez's M illuminating article on radio in The Stage (October 1 8) last week. The fee of Not Quite £1600 for writing two episodes of Citizens includes the I omnibus edition. There is no repeat M fee. I wish there was, but there isn't. W Jonathan Wolfman Upland Koad M East Dulwich London ...

... Reject this colour bar Sir, Recently I read in your paper that a director was reported to have said that it is morally wrong for a white actor to play Othello. What is morally wrong is for people in the theatre to peddle such rubbish. Soon we will have idiots telling us it is morally wrong for a Yorkshireman to play a Cockney or for an English actor to play Captain Boyle. Recently I saw the ...

... Hijacked by the jazz mafia SIR, I have read with interest your article Jazz Oldies See Blue (Stage, March 23) and also the picture of the Tennent Award Winners. I agree with Jim Simpson regarding the standard of music which is played under the heading of Jazz but cannot agree that it is entirely the fault of the young musicians 1 spend my entire life listening to jazz at venues and it is not ...

... Getting our grants in a twist SIR, I refer to the article by Suzan Leavy (Branch Theatre Feels the Cost of Silly Laws, The Stage, May 4) about the Rosemary Branch Theatre, which is incorrect and misleading. The Theatres Act 1968 requires public performances of plays to be licensed by the local authority. In operating as a club, a theatre can avoid the need to be licensed by providing private ...

... Mutual frustrations SIR--I am writing in response to an article by Bernard Bale, which appeared on September 16 (Canadians block 'Allo actor, page 4). In your piece, tne nngnsn actor, Roger Kitter, voiced his frustrations at not being approved by Canadian Actors' Equity Association to appear in a dinner theatre production of Pyjama Tops in Edmonton, Alberta. Mr Kitter states that he heard at ...