NO OPENING FOR DRAMATISTS
Sta,—Mr. Norman Scotney, in his very interesting article " Theatre Prospect," declares a simple and self-evident truth when •he writes: " One of the theatre's fundamental needs is virile contemporary plays." Exactly! But has Mr. Scotney ever inquired as to the difficulties of getting any of these " virile contemporary plays " produced? There is the rub: What inducement is there at the present time for any writer who can command a ready market in any other field to waste time, energy (and certain heartache) in trying to please London theatrical managers? Scripts are lost, ignored, allowed to remain unread ; letters are completely side- tracked ; there are no competent play-doctors in this country—and so on and so forth: it would take a whole page of The Spectator, instead of a mere letter, to air the grievances of the playwright—old as well as new— in this country.
That is why so many writers who are sure of an adequate return when they write novels are leaving the theatre alone—and who can blame
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