Theatre Post To Actor

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32142, 11 November 1969, Page 8

Theatre Post To Actor

Fred Betts, a Christchurch television and stage actor, has been appointed organising secretary of the newly-formed New Zealand Theatre Federation. The federation has been formed by the amalgamation of the Drama Council and the New Zealand branch of the British Drama League. From March, the Federation will take over the varied activities of the Drama Council and the British Drama League, residential theatre schools, the development of youth drama, the one-act festivals and full length festivals which have been a feature of the league's work, and the manifold subsidy schemes that have proved of benefit to member societies of the Drama Council. The new organisation is evolving a 10-year development plan for the amateur theatrb to present to the Arts Conference ’7O.

Mr Betts has had a long association with the theatre, professional and amateur, both in England and New Zealand. He is at present playing in the Downstage Theatre production of "The Price.”

Last year, after appearing in several plays for the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Company, he went to Auckland to appear in two plays for the Mercury Theatre, and later took part in a television serial written by Roy Hope. More than 50 persons from all over New Zealand attended the final annual conference of the British Drama League, New Zealand branch, in Wellington last week-end. The delegates discussed the activities which will be continued next year by the Theatre Federation. These included plans for a national full-length play festival, playwriting competitions, and the annual one-act play festival.

The finals of the one-act play festival next year will be held at Balclutha on September 4 and 5. Officers elected at the meeting are: President, Miss Olga Harding (Wellington); vicepresidents, Mesdames T. Marshall (Hamilton) and A. Toy (Hawera), Messrs Hunter Beil (Christchurch) and W. Clarke (Invercargill). Christchurch and North ——__—,

Canterbury area members of the B.D.L. will vote at their annual meeting on December 10 on motions to disband the area, fhfen set tip an area organisation with the same boundaries, to be affiliated to the federation. This will have a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, stage director and committee of nine members.