CHILDREN’S PLAY TO BE STAGED

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27425, 11 August 1954, Page 12

CHILDREN’S PLAY TO BE STAGED

“TOAD OF TOAD I HALL” A season of A. A. Milne’s play, “Toad of Toad Hall,” will open next week to Christchurch. It will be the third production by the Canterbury Childrens Theatre which, as its producer (Mt¥ Neta Neale) says, aims ‘‘to give yoW people an opportunity to , see worthwhile live theatre of a kind suiwßW 1 to their own age groups.” The play is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s story “The Wind in the Willows,” and has a cast of 50. Their will be nine 'performances between August 21 and August 28. In December, 1952, the company played “The Tinder Box,” and last year it presented “Tlie Princess and the Swineherd.” Profits from the season will be used to establish a permanent children theatre, to present plays of artistic merit for children, and to interest children in the theatre. “Live theatre productions, unlike films and radio, depend upon the joint participation of players and audience,” said Mrs Neale, commenting yesterday on the company’s work. “We believe that by encouraging the development of an intelligently critical attitude to entertainment, this may. in time, lead to a demand for improvement in the quality of entertainment and thus offset the influence of the less desirable radio serials and comics which tend to corrupt good taste in children today.” Mrs Neale said.