20 JANUARY 1961, page 16

Opera

Costumed Oratorio B y D tVID CAIRNS IN Orpheus, the first of his 'reformed' operas, Gluck set out to rescue opera for drama. But you would hardly guess this at Covent Garden,......

Theatre

Panto for Parents By BAMBER GASCOIGNE Ondine. (Aldwych.) Wise grey eyes popped with wonder behind their rimless bi-focals when the Magician produced a naked Venus from no-......

Alan Brien, Our Theatre Critic For The Past Three Years,

is joining the new Sunday Tele- graph in that capacity. He will, however, con- tinue to write for us on other topics; and the first of his articles appears in this week's issue.......