BRITISH DRAMA LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 71, 21 September 1933, Page 4

BRITISH DRAMA LEAGUE

INCREASING ACTIVITIES

The British Drama League was founded in London by Dr. Geoffrey Whitwortk in 1919; there are now 4000 members, a verylarge number of whom belong to affiliated societies. For this year's drama festivals there were over 400 entries in England and Wales alone. The movement is a truly national one and has the support of prominent educationists and statesmen, such as the Duchess of Atholl, Lord Burnliam, and Lord Fisher. The Dominions Drama Committee, specially formed to act as a link between the Mother Country and the 'Dominions, has Lord Lytton 'as chairmarij while Mr. Lewis Cassou and Sir Barry Jackson are two of its members. Miss Elizabeth Blake was authorised to form -a.- branch in New Zealand, the inaugural meeting of which was held in Wellington in June last year. Since then, as the branch's annual report shows, the work, has developed rapidly. There are now ten areas, each with its own area council and representatives on the National Council. These are:—Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Southern Hawke's Bay, Central Taranaki, Southern Taranaki, Wanganui and district, Wellington Province (with district committees at Mastertoo and a school branch at Ngatawa, Marton), Christchurch and" North Canterbury, Timaru and South Canterbury, and Dunedin and Otago.

: In 1932 three' festivals of drama were held in New Zealand, but this year eleven have been arra-nged, as well as a national final in Wellington. •'Miss ■ Blake, has judged five of these, and has been much impressed by the keenness and promise shown:- Other festivals have been, or are being, judged by Mr. W. S. Wauchop, Mr. Victor Lloyd, Miss Kiore King, Mrr E. S. Baldwin, and" Mr. Clement May.

The need for more experience among producers is evident, and, as at Home, Schools for producers are proving necessary and valuable; three have been held this year, the first under Professor Shelley at > -Canterbury College : Little Theatre,: one in> Wellington in-May, and at the Timaru Little Theatre in June, in which altogetherl about 150 students took part. At Christmas the B.D.L. plan ; a fortnight's school of drama at Timaru, when Greek movement and verse speaking will be on the programme, as well as stage work of different kinda.

Burglaries and house and; shopbreaking cases are increasing in London. Last year there were 13,800 cases, and only thirteen per-cent, .of the cases were cleared up;