While I get where you're coming from, Alec, I sometimes wonder what artistic fulfillment results from doing yet another amdram interpretation of Oklahoma...?

But amateur theatre can be really interesting. At our venue, we recently started an adults' community theatre, which is devising a piece on the Luddites in Loughborough, with particular reference to the smashing of John Heathcote's mill. They're incorporating music from the period. Thart definitely has folky overtones for me, and it will be a iece of theatre they've created, which is great.

On hte panto question, we usually go into the forst week of new year. I wonder if there's any panto tradition of finishing on 12th Night?

BTW, Alec, come to Loughborough Town Hall's panto next year. Just down the road from Nottingham. No slebs, no near-the-knuckle jokes - just good old fashioned panto, with lots of laughs, strong performances, and great sets and costumes. We even still have a principle boy who's a girl (several I saw this year didn't)!

We played to 90% capacity for the full run this year, so there are plenty of paople around who must still like a traditional panto, rather than the ones awash with rude jokes and soap stars.