... THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST The Duchess of Gloucester was present on Tuesday at the first of the eight special matinee performances of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of being Earnest, which are being given in aid of the Actors Orphanage, Theatrical Ladies Guild, Actors Benevolent Fund General Theatrical Fund, and King George's Pension Fund, ex cept that next Tuesday, when the Queen ...

... I DONE A MURDER On Monday, January JO, Circle Theatres, Ltd., produced a play, in three acts and five scenes, by E. G. Cousins, en titled: 41 I Done a Murder V If red Hanible Ivor Barnard Ellen II amble Vera Lennox Edgar Moddling Ken.ieth Warrington (ieoffrey Treen Bryan Coleman Vera (iresland Nancy O Neil Anthony Horn whistle D. A. Clarke Smith Florence ModdLing Moll* Jaynor Tom Gresland ...

... Three series on mystery and murder at the BBC By GILLIAN ROSE THE BBC is currently in production with three drama serials adapted from novels written by mystery writer Dorothy L. Savers. They feature the characters Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. The serials will be shown on BBC- 2, probably in autumn 1987, and are being produced by Michael Chapman, whose producer credits include ...

... DIRECTORS GIVE ACTT BREAKAWAY ULTIMATUM 'Prove you are willing and able to represent us or we will quit union' By ANGELA THOMAS THE DIRECTORS Guild this week hit back at ACTT attempts to prevent the formation of a breakaway union of producers and directors, by challenging the ACTT to prove it was willing and able to represent all its members' interests. a This is the latest stage in the battle ...

... Birt gives way to his deputy BBC CHIEF John Birt's dramatic retreat to his deputy director general's position has fuelled speculation throughout the corporation that his con troversial policies towards jour nalism may well be over. Since his arrival over a year ago Birt has left tew areas of news and current affairs untouched and his departure last week from the everyday running of the ...

... LA Law is first UK casualty of American writers' strike BY STAGE REPORTER AS AMERICA'S writers' strike drags on, Britain's LA Law fans have become the first victims of the long running dispute. I names 1 V admitted that they were forced to bring the series to an abrupt end two weeks ago when their supply of episodes from the US ran out viewers will now have to wait until next year to catch up ...

... Making It--the Dance Competition ITV TELEVISION needs a regular dance competition comparable with the BBC's Young Musician of the Year. But so far the Corporation's two programmes, under the banner Eurovision Dancer of the Year, have failed to get to grips with the power of dance, with analysis of what it is that draws in its practitioners. Now Granada has taken up the chal lenge and made a ...

... Move It PREVIEW BBC 1 PRODUCER Chris Fear is concerned that television is not doing enough to encourage children to take up sport, and so his new seven-part series, Move It, is intended as a remedy. There is, however, something of an irony in presenting it on summer afternoons (Thursdays from June 30), just when sensible children ought to be outside playing games. Perhaps it is aimed at ...

... The Labours Of Erica THAMES EVERYONE ELSE seemed to be moaning in the opening programme of this new comedy series so I don't see why I shouldn't participate in the general wailing. Chance In A Million writers Fegen and Norris have written the show, which is about 39-year-old Erica Par sons realising on New Year's Eve that her life has been a comedy (or tragedy) of errors and at this late hour ...

... Winner calls on Equity to recognise changes in SA By SUZAN LEAVY TOP British film director, Michael Winner, this week came out in support of Equity's dropping its ban on television and radio sales to some democratic stations in South Africa and said that union members deserved payments generated from H selling programmes. H Winner, who is best known for directing the Death Wish H films, ...

... Very Big Very Soon CENTRAL HARRY James is a theatrical agent who can put on a better performance than any of the second raters found on his books. He has the uniform camel-hair coat with suede collar, penned hair, and the confidence to sell sand to Arabs and snow to Eskimos. But that doesn't help on a Friday night when the entertainments booker wants an act to delight the punters. And vour ...

... Singles YORKSHIRE ROGER Rees' decision to leave the cast of Singles and settle in Los Angeles, where he has joined the hit show Cheers, has allowed Simon Cadell to take his place. And with a gem of a part. In the new Singles series Cadell plays a three times married actor with an ego biggei than his billing and convinced the world revolves around him. He expects to be recognised by besotted ...