24 SEPTEMBER 1983, Page 19

Whodunnit

Sir: Your drama critic Giles Gordon (27 August) suggests the anonymous author of the Elizabethan drama Arden of Faversham (being presented by the RSC at the Pit until October) is cocking a snook at Shakespeare with loaded names for his characters.

But Arden, as well as being the maiden name of Shakespeare's mother, was simply the name of the real figure, Thomas Arden, whose murder in 1551 is dramatised.

Similarly Black Will and Shakebag existed in real life, save that the latter was really Loosebag, but underwent some sort of transmission error in Holinshed's Chronicles, apparently the source of the mystery author as they were of Shakespeare for his English historical plays.

The real `whodunnit' with this murder concerns authorship and whether, as some scholars suggest, Shakespeare wrote Arden, perhaps inspired by a visit to Faversham with a touring company.

John Coulter

Trefriw, Roman Road, Faversham, Kent