Ballet Trust Perturbed By N.Z. Players' Plight

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29245, 1 July 1960, Page 12

Ballet Trust Perturbed By N.Z. Players' Plight

(New Zealana Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 30. “The New Zealand Ballet Trust is gravely concerned at the position which has arisen with the New Zealand Players because the trust’s success is somewhat bound up with the Players as it Is with the New Zealand Opert Company,” said Sir John Allum, of Auckland, chairman of the trust, tonight

“We are anxious ourselves that there shall be complete co-opera-tion between all, and v e hope not only that the Government will find some way to assist the Players back on to their feet, but that it will also find some way to help all three branches of the theatre art together. “The combined objectives, after all, are to entertain New Zealanders, to give our trained New Zealanders the incentive to come back to us and to provide channels in which they can work and. at the same time, add something to New Zealand life.” Sir John said the Ballet Trust, as the youngest member of the three-'theatre arts, Was partlcu-

larly dependent on the New Zealand Players, especially on the technical facilities they offered in their workshops. “If these workshops are lost, the Ballet Trust will have ‘p modify its plans tor the immediate future," he said. “If the Players should collapse, the theatre arts in this country would suffer Immeasurably. Much talent and ability would be lost and the courage and initiative that set the players in motion will have gone for nothing ”