6 JANUARY 1996, page 36

Cinema

Four Rooms (18, selected cinemas) Party poopers Mark Steyn A l popular art forms — musical come- dy, rock'n'roll — eventually reach a point at which they know too much, and then......

Theatre

South Pacific (Drill Hall) The Tower (Almeida) According to Hoyle (Hampstead) Back to basics Sheridan Morley W riting this column in the autumn of 1951, one of my most......

Gardens

A civilising influence Ursula Buchan I nto the vast, calm pool of gardening lit- erature has recently dropped a polished pebble. I hope, before it sinks, that enough ripples......