Absolute Truth Some time ago Moral Re-Armament acquired the Westminster
Theatre. Since then, apart from occasional lettings to other managements, they have either put on their own Buchmanite plays there or kept it empty—dark, as the theatre world says. Last week the Buchmanites put on a new play, presenting the MRA faith, by Peter Howard (Buchman's heir-presumptive) and Alan Thornhill. It tells how MRA straightened out the Hungarian Revolution for the combatants. Business presumably being not too brisk (the press is chary of reviewing these propaganda exercises as plays), the Buchmanites are attempt- ing to drum up trade by sending a persuasively worded letter to residents of Westminster, in which city the theatre stands. This letter claims to 'recall the aims of the theatre.' It says that 'many people deplore certain trends on stage and screen today,' and makes it clear that the plays seen at the Westminster are of a kind `to which you can safely bring your family.' The current play is then duly, and naturally enough, puffed: . subtle and exciting . . . action takes place on both sides of the Iron Curtain . . . a play you will enjoy.' Then there is some stuff about making the Westminster 'the perma- nent home of a virile and constructive theatre of ideas,' and a final exhortation to residents of the city to 'make it truly their theatre.' In not one word of all this, or in the accompanying ticket order-form, is there any hint that this is an MRA exercise. The respectable anonymity of 'Westminster Memorial Trust,' with its useful reminder of other and more celebrated Memorial Theatres, and the ambiguous description of the play itself, might easily persuade into visiting the theatre for ordinary theatrical entertainment many who would not dream of going if they knew that the set-up really was. Maybe the Buchmanites would reply that such manoeuvres are justified if more people can be brought face to' face with the MRA faith. The whole thing strikes me as an example of the Ab- solute Truth by which these gentry are guided.
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