NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25306, 4 October 1947, Page 7

NEXT WEEK’S RADIO

THE PLAY, SOMETIMES THE THING The programmes from the main national stations for the next few months are going to be pretty well padded with plays from the 8.8. C.: and not everyone is going to be pleased about it. Lately I’ve listened perseveringly to a variety of plays, some 8.8. C. productions, others produced in the N.B.S. studios in Wellington; and I must say that my praise is not all for the 8.8. C. I have heard—or begun to hear—some N.B.S. productions that made me wonder why they had been written in the first place, bought in the second place, read in the third place, and recorded in any place at all; but I have also heard two plays in the last fortnight—“ The Mouse” and “No Time for Tea”—which seemed to me very weH done, though better done, than the material deserved. I have also heard good material both well and badly done. Their now old production of ‘‘The Taming of the Shrew” is still very good; their “As You Like It,” not heard before by me, will not borrow my ears again, even for the first act.. I ve heard that.

The 8.8. C. plays that have caused the most interest are the five life‘sized ones in the World Theatre series. The “Faustus” has seemed to me the most successful so far—but I have still to near the Rostand _play. Of the others I liked “Man of Destiny” least well.

This Sunday from 2YA, to follow round the stations later, the new series of religious plays from the 8.8. C. "°me Service begins. The general title is Men of God.”* There are six parts, each play dealing with an Old TestaPJ o Phet and his problems in the Ught of the problems of to-day. The first subject is Elijah and others to follow are Amos, Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist. The first broadcast will follow the 9 p.m. news from 2YA to-morrow.

THE BEST NEWS . Discussions at 2YA and later more discussions at fortnightly intervals.' inis is the best news this week from headquarters of the N.B.S. Next Monday evening 2YA will present the first. The subject: housing. The speakers, un-named: an architect chiefly interested in town-planning; a housewife who has taken part in the national out-' door sport, house-hunting; a masterbuilder; and a man-in-the-street. I aidn t ask which man or which street —it must be quite a difficult thing to choose a man-in-the-street who won’t sound like anyone in particular. The idea is that the discussions are to be informative—much in the way a discussion round the fire can be informative if those engaged in the discussion know anything about the subject. In this particular case the Mystery of the Housing Shortage is to be explored, though not necessarily solved. Well, a four-part discussion. If it’s not a wholly new idea at least it will be a stimulating change, but jolly hard work for the discussers. MOTLEY’S NOT THE ONLY WEAR Indeed it’s fairly roundly condemned by Margaret in her excellent Tuesday morning talks from 2YA. Next in importance to the good quality basic suit, she indicate?, are accessories—which must be carfefully chosen. With wisely chosen additions—hat, gloves, scarf, bag, shoes—the basic suit may become six different garments, each proper for this or that use. Now of course every woman knows these things but few women can hear them too often. And I think that if Margaret added a few practical hints on actual colours that combine well, these wise words could be even more helpful. As it is, I hear from inside the N.B.S. Margaret is already receiving fan mail, or, more accurately, request mail. I predict that she will be invited to plan a wardrobe on £lO. Well, she could always fall back on the famous old recipe for stone soup, if she knows it. Take one flat round stone and place in a pan; add three cups of water, two onions finely chopped, a tablespoon each of rice, barley, sago, and macaroni, two cups of minced gravy beef, etc. Take your aunt’s fur coat and unworn silk stockings. . . . Yes, these talks are recorded and are to go the rounds. NEW ZEALANDER FROM AUSTRALIA A few years ago a young woman student of Victoria University College graduated in law and went out of this country to work. She worked in Canada and the United States and later in Australia, where she became Director of Social Work and Social Research in the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. Recently she came to New Zealand for a holiday and recorded a talk in Wellington. Lyra Taylor’s talk will be heard from the linked stations this Sunday evening. October 5. IN SHORT

The very good 8.8. C. series on’diafists and letter writers, heard from 3YA on Sunday afternoons, should not be missed next Sunday, October 12, when the subject will be the diary of Samuel Pepys. I have heard this recording and can recommend it; the odds are that the listener who has a copy in his bookcase will spend the rest of the afternoon happily reading. The Boyd Neel talks nave gone to Auckland and will be heard from IYA on Sundays, beginning on Sunday afternoon, October 12. Anyone who can hear IYA is advised to take this opportunity of hearing the three most lively talks in memory. It seems that 3YA’S talks book is pretty full for months ahead and the Boyd Neel records may not be broadcast in the south till it’s almost time for the next Winter Course series. —J. •These plays have recently been issued in the following book:

Men of God: A Series of Six Plays for Broadcast. Devoted to the Story of the Hebrew Prophets. Devised by Seton Pollock and written by Wilfrid Grantham. Gollancz. 190 pp.