OVERTURE AND BEGINNERS By Ronald Adam
For some years the name of Mr. Ronald Adam has been known to intel- ligent London playgoers. In 1932 he took a lease of the Embassy Theatre at Swiss Cottage, where he has since pro- duced a long succession of plays, remark- able alike for their quality and their diversity; many of them were afterwards transferred to larger London theatres. In the first half of Overture and Beginnel s (Gollancz, los. 6d.) Mr. Adam recounts in simple outline the story of his life : theatrical background and childhood, school, an Air Force pilot at 18, capture and imprisonment in Germany, abortive business life in London, return to his spiritual home in the theatre. Then a detailed and extremely interesting account of his acquisition and handling of the Embassy Theatre. The second half of the- book consists of a number of short chapters, in which Mr. Adam gives his frank and often trenchant opinions on such vital matters as theatrical finance, the Entertainments Tai reper- tory theatres, critics, and the thousand and one other nuisances which give managers pause. Mr. Adam's style, if not distinguished, is pleasantly straight- forward. Anyone interested in the prac- tical politics of the theatre will enjoy the book, and it is especially recommended to budding playwrights and would-be performers.
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