1 FEBRUARY 1946, Page 2

The National Theatre

A new step forward towards a National Theatre has been taken by the successful merging of the Shakespeare Memorial National Theatre Committee and the Old Vic, as announced this week by Mr. .Oliver Lyttelton, chairman of the new Joint Council. This far-sighted and public-spirited amalgamation of the two most im- portant organisations, each of which has for many years been steadily working towards the one goal from different directions and origins, was an essential step to any further progress. It has been facilitated by the wisdom of the governors of the Old Vic, the enlightened help and advice of the Arts Council, the far-sighted, public-spirited offer of the L.C.C. to the Memorial Theatre Com- mittee to exchange a larger site on the Surrey side of the Thames close to the river for the smaller site owned by the Committee in South Kensington, and lastly by the single-minded disinterested agreement of the Memorial Theatre Committee to pool its efforts and put its resources of about £8o,000 at the disposal of the new Joint Council. Nothing should now prevent the foundations of the new building being laid within a few years. There is available for the first time an ideal site, large enough for those technical require- ments carefully elaborated by the expert hand of Mr. Harley Granville-Barker, large enough also to provide the amenities in accommodation and refreshments which are such a conspicuous and attractive feature of the best Continental theatres (but which in congested London are nowhere else obtainable), and lastly we have already in existence the Old Vic Theatre Company, which has proved itself capable and worthy of stepping immediately on the boards of what ought to become the finest theatre in the world.